Small Gallery Pioneers/ Hal Gould, Carl Siembab, Helen Johnston

[Merg Ross]

With the recent passing of Hal Gould, I am reminded of similar trailblazers who shared his belief in the 1950's and 1960's --- those dedicated few who steadfastly believed in photography as an art form. As Hal Gould did, they too made the sacrifices that accompany dedication and purpose in the promotion of photography as a "fine art".

Two who I knew were on opposite coasts --- Carl Siembab in Boston and Helen Johnston in San Francisco. I was introduced to Carl at his gallery on Newbury Street in 1959. I was eighteen years old and sold my first photograph there that year for $15. Later, in the mid 1960's, Helen Johnston opened her small Focus Gallery in an upstairs flat on Union Street in San Francisco. She and Carl are perhaps not known to those born in an era when photography has attained its special place in the art world. A search for Helen Johnston/Focus Gallery or Carl Siembab Gallery should produce some background of these pioneer promoters of photography.

I think of them, their struggles, and our friendship. They made a difference, and some of us today, unknowingly, are beneficiaries of their efforts.

[bob carnie]

I feel some kinship here, I have started a 800 sq ft gallery here in Toronto above my printing facility.. I have mixed emotions about it right now but I think the pros, outweigh the cons.
we have had about 8 shows with many planned for the future, but it really is not for the feint of heart to do this.

[Eric Biggerstaff]

Thanks for posting this Merg. While I knew Hal I was not familiar with the others you mention so I will search and try to learn a little.

[Drew Wiley]

I'm trying to remember the last name of some Helen who sponsored me upstairs somewhere on Union Street. That was a long time ago. But she was a Berenice
Abbot fanatic and already pretty old when I came along via a recommendation from a painter. Maybe just a coincidence. In terms of pioneering relative unknowns,
esp in color photography. I remember Grapestake Gallery in SF. He was growing broke all along and knew it, but believed in what he was doing, and was willing to take the risk. Nobody paid attention. Today some of those photographers are pretty much canonized. But he'd show everything, including their many many
bellyflops. Not everything caught on that Meyerowitz, Misrach, etc did. But I gotta give them respect for persistently rolling the dice until something hit.

[David Lindquist]

Thank you so much for this Merg, it brings back warm memories. I got out of the U.S. Army in 1969 and moved to the east bay (where I lived and worked until 2006). I used to take the "F" bus, and later BART to San Francisco and take a cable car, or even sometimes walk from the bus terminal or BART, to Union Street to go to Focus Gallery. At openings of their respective shows, Focus Gallery was the first place I was in the same room as Ansel Adams and Brett Weston. And one time Helen Johnston had prints from one of Edward Weston's 50th Anniversary Portfolios for sale and I bought one. Things like this remind me that I have been very fortunate.
David

[Tin Can]

Maybe I need to do something.

Small quick shows are a good idea, I have been mulling over logistics.

My thoughts are 8 hour pop-up shows in my building. Hang in the afternoon. Show. Sell. The artists take what's left with them before midnight.

I have 1500 sq ft to fill and empty. The best part is it's our community room and free. My location has became a destination, not kidding.

Thanks for the tip Merg!

[Merg Ross]

Thank you so much for this Merg, it brings back warm memories. I got out of the U.S. Army in 1969 and moved to the east bay (where I lived and worked until 2006). I used to take the "F" bus, and later BART to San Francisco and take a cable car, or even sometimes walk from the bus terminal or BART, to Union Street to go to Focus Gallery. At openings of their respective shows, Focus Gallery was the first place I was in the same room as Ansel Adams and Brett Weston. And one time Helen Johnston had prints from one of Edward Weston's 50th Anniversary Portfolios for sale and I bought one. Things like this remind me that I have been very fortunate.
David

David, glad you had a chance to visit the Focus Gallery. I was discharged from the Army a few years before you, 1965 in Oakland. However, I was back home again!

Helen and her gallery gave me the opportunity to reconnect with the state of photography and events in my absence. She included me in a couple of exhibits and hours of chat. You probably remember those photo racks with photographs for sale; she was ahead of her time, and unfortunately never sold the $45 print of Brett's Garrapata Beach! I once owned an EW 50th Anniversary Portfolio, which print did you purchase?

Before the "F" bus and BART, there was an "F" train that ran from Berkeley to San Francisco on the lower deck of the Bay Bridge. As a teenager I made the ride across the bay on the last day of its service.

Back to photography, you are no doubt familiar with Peter Stackpole's photographs of the bridge construction in the 1930's. If not, look for "The Bridge Builders/Stackpole". All 35mm, but good enough to be included and exhibit with Group F.64. He lived a few blocks from me in Oakland and went on to become one of the four original photographers for Life magazine.

Thanks for sharing your memories of the "little gallery" on Union Street.

[DennisD]

Thanks, Merg, for the interesting post.

Photography was fortunate to have the trailblazers who pioneered dedicated galleries. (They were lucky to have photography ! )

It's unfortunate many of the original galleries did not survive.

Here in NY we had the Witkin Gallery, opened around 1969 by Lee Witkin with inspiration from Witkin's friend, photographer George Tice. Before that, Witkin, an art aficionado, wrote for construction publications as a profession. Witkin and Tice, both from New Jersey, met in the 1960's and thru their friendship, Tice encouraged Witkin's interest in photography.

In 1969, Lee Witkin opened New York’s first art gallery devoted to photography.

Unfortunately, Lee became ill in the early 1980's and died around 1984. The gallery was taken over by Witkin's assistant, but eventually closed in 1999.

[Merg Ross]

Thanks, Merg, for the interesting post.

Photography was fortunate to have the trailblazers who pioneered dedicated galleries. (They were lucky to have photography ! )

It's unfortunate many of the original galleries did not survive.

Here in NY we had the Witkin Gallery, opened around 1969 by Lee Witkin with inspiration from Witkin's friend, photographer George Tice. Before that, Witkin, an art aficionado, wrote for construction publications as a profession. Witkin and Tice, both from New Jersey, met in the 1960's and thru their friendship, Tice encouraged Witkin's interest in photography.

In 1969, Lee Witkin opened New York’s first art gallery devoted to photography.

Unfortunately, Lee became ill in the early 1980's and died around 1984. The gallery was taken over by Witkin's assistant, but eventually closed in 1999.

Dennis, thanks for mentioning Lee Witkin. I was unaware of the George Tice connection. The Witkin Gallery was very influential and no doubt a model for many that opened in the 1970's across the country.

Prior to the Witkin gallery in New York was the Limelight Gallery in the Village, opened by Helen Gee in the 1950's. She also has a prominent place on the list of pioneers. For several years she exhibited some of the finest work in photography, lots of big names.The gallery was at the rear of a coffeehouse. When I was there in late 1959 she was exhibiting the work of Wynn Bullock. I should have mentioned Helen Gee in my original post.

[tgtaylor]

None of those mentioned in the above posts can even remotely be considered “trailblazers” or “pioneers” for they were preceded by countless others such as Theodore Lilienthal in New Orleans http://www.knowla.org/entry/806/ and Carleton Watkins in San Francisco https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carleton_Watkins who both operated photographic studios and galleries and promoted photography as a fine art a century before those named.

Thomas