Bacup Camera Club

John Cook  was one, if not thee, founding member of Bacup Camera Club, the son of Charles and Candace Cook he was born in Debenham Suffolk on 16th November 1873. Charles and Candace moved to Bacup around 1874 and lived at Lane Ends Farm cottages. John began work as a Weaver  and in the years prior to his death had been employed firstly at Joshua Hoyles Freeholds Mill Shawforth, and then as Manager at Meadows Mill. John was of a quiet and studious nature and attended the night classes held at the Mechanics Institute in Bacup, where for two years running 1892 and 1893  he won the Greenwood Scholarship award a prize totalling £5.00. John’s love of photography began in 1890 when  at just 17 he began taking photographs of Bacup and it’s surroundings one of his first photographs being.

Bacup Centre 1902

John was responsible for taking many of the photographs used since 1937 for the “Owd Bacup” slideshows such as: Old Boston Bridge, Bridge Street, Maden Memorial, Union Street, Market Street, Old Bulls Head, Bacup Coat Of Arms, Broadclough, Broadclough Plantation, Meadows Farm, and Tong Lane to name but a few.

Im March 1920 a meeting was held at the Natural History rooms in connection with forming a Camera Club, During the evening about 100 lantern slides were shown. The Camera Club was officially opened on May 18th 1920 by Councillor Baron, and was known as Bacup Naturalist Camera Club.

John was very much involved in the making of Lantern Slides, and in February 1925 gave a lecture and demonstration to the then members of the Camera Club on the entire process of making Lantern slides. Beginning with a short  outline of the theoretical work and then going on to demonstrate the practical side of the process, which included putting the negative in the slide to the exposure of the plate and development of the same. The entire process being rounded of by masking, spotting and final binding of the slide.

 Officials and Members of the camera club for March 1920 are shown in the Camera Clubs minutes as being.

Camera Club Officials 1920

Mr Horrocks Chairman

G. H. Stott  Secretary 306 Moorcroft View Shawforth.

J Sanderson Treasurer 30 St James Street Bacup.

James Cartwright 15 Hope Terrace Newline Bacup.

Committee:

Mr J.H.Lord 6 Rose Bank Street Bacup.

J Sanderson 30 St James Street Bacup.

J Horrocks 1 Waterside Terrace Bacup.

M Taylor 128 Rochdale Road Bacup.

S Taylor 3 Vale Street Bacup

H Thornley 13 Regent Street Bacup.

J Cook 3 Shepherd Street Bacup.

W.H.Bentley 9 Whitehead Street Bacup.

Other Members of Camera Club:

W Heyworth 16 Croft Street Bacup.

J Bradley 104 Rochdale Road Bacup.

W Foster 3 Fern Street Bacup.

J Ormerod 2 Hill Street Bacup.

J Hargreaves Orchard Villas.

J Woodhouse 1 Bridge Street.

J Taylor 3 Hempsteads.

J. W. Law 21 Union Street Bacup.

J .W. Haworth 15 Fountain Street Whitwewellbottom

Walter Foulds Holmes Villas Bacup.

E. H. Kinsella Daisy Bank Bacup.

H Scott Todmorden Road.