OUR CLUB

CLUB HISTORY

Sixty seven years ago on the 12th July 1956 a few of the employees of Ruston Bucyrus Engineering Company in Lincoln gathered in the works canteen to inaugurate the Ruston Bucyrus Ltd Camera Club. The new Club, which came under the auspices of the Ruston-Bucyrus Sports Association (RBSA), began by opening up membership to individuals other than employees of Ruston Bucyrus Ltd.  Membership fees were set at 7/6d (37.5p) for employees and more than double at 16/2d (81p) for non-employees!

Perhaps at this juncture it may be as well to explain a short history of how RB C.C. became known by the name, RB (without the full stops or periods as our American friends would say). Originally the Bucyrus Company was an American company founded in 1880 in Bucyrus, Ohio. The Bucyrus-Eire Company amalgamated with Ruston Hornsby Company in 1930 to form the Ruston Bucyrus Company Ltd manufacturing excavators and cranes in Lincoln. The U.S.A. based side of this now large company retaining the overall operating control of the business. In 1970 Ruston Bucyrus Ltd decided they could no longer fund the Employees Camera Club as it had more outsiders than employees enjoying the support and amenities of “The Company”. The committee therefore decided to seek new Club premises in Lincoln. The move to 12 Clasketgate took place in 1971 and with the new name of just ‘RB’ to reflect its heritage it quickly established itself as the friendly camera club to join.

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Much has happened over the past 60 years in the development of equipment and technology which has made bigger strides this 21st century than at any other time in the past 100 years. In 1956 the choice of light materials used by RBCC members for recording images was limited to: Glass plates, sheet film, roll film, 35mm cassettes, and slide film. The development and printing of the negatives required a dark room and enlarger, provided by Ruston Bucyrus and a flash gun could be hired for members use at a fee (thought to be too high at that time) and RBSA donated £35.00 to buy an automatic slide projector with two magazine carriers. How photography has changed for the better!

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The advent of the digital camera and computers has meant that film is hard and expensive to buy. Kodak have stopped making slide film and second hand enlargers and film cameras are cheap to buy. Sadly there is only one RB Member who still uses his own darkroom to produce superb monochrome chemical prints. However, I am told there is resurgence in the art of producing ‘wet prints’.

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RBCC has moved with the times and embraced the digital age with enthusiasm. Club members have the use of state of the art digital projector, laptop, lighting equipment and a sound system. Most members have mobile phones that capture high resolution images that can sent with a few clicks, to friends, to a TV or even down-loaded on to a website. A far cry from 1956 when RB members used to be able to hire a flash gun! What’s that some youngsters may ask?

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Over the past 60 years the work of the hard working committee of RBCC has maintained and strengthened the Club through the trauma of three moves to different venues. The present Club Room at Nettleham Village Hall, since our move in 2004, has proved to be fortuitous, with free parking, facilities for catering and is easily accessible from all parts of the County.

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The success of any Club depends on the Membership and RBCC has enjoyed the enthusiasm, loyalty and friendship of Members over six decades, and long may it continue. This enthusiasm has kept RB Camera Club vibrant, a leading light in Lincolnshire and in the North & East Midlands Photographic Federation; with your support I am sure it will continue for years to come.