“Shadows of a Fleeting World presents over 200 works by Seattle Camera Club photographers and others in the Seattle area who worked in the pictorial style during the movement’s heyday. The Seattle Camera Club (SCC) was founded in 1924 by Japanese immigrants to the Pacific Northwest. The activities of SCCphotographers paralleled those of members of Japanese immigrant photography clubs in Los Angeles and San Francisco, but the SCC was distinguished by its enthusiastic and successful efforts to recruit non-Japanese members and by its monthly journal, Notan, which more than any other factor preserved SCCactivities for posterity. Despite the pervasive racism that prevented Japanese immigrants from gaining citizenship, the work of SCCmembers was well received, finding prizes, purchasers, and general acclaim. Acknowledging the prominence of West Coast camera club photographers, the editor of the 1928 The American Annual of Photography wrote, “the influence of this group on our Pacific coast has put a lasting mark on photography in this country, the repercussions of which are echoing throughout the world.” ”

The collection is no longer showing at the Henry, UW’s art gallery, but when it goes back up i suggest going to check it out. The variety in photographic process and inspiration the club drew from was impressive.