Chronological Milestones in the History of our Exhibition

Each page covers 10 milestones, large and small, starting from the first exhibition in 1934 to the present day.

We owe thanks to DPS Historian, Jeff Smith, who compiled 1934-2007 to celebrate our 75th exhibition in 2008. With the advent of this Web site we can now add comments each year and maintain it as a living record.

1935 Catalog Advert
1935 Catalog Advert

1942 Catalog Advert
1942 Catalog Advert

1960 Catalog Advert
1960 Catalog Advert

12345678
MilestoneDescription
Jan 19341st Wilmington Salon of Photography held at Wilmington library under auspices of the Wilmington Society of the Fine Arts. 182 prints from all over U.S., including Hawaii.
19352nd Salon, 1st  Wilmington International Salon. 172 prints from the U.S., Spain, Canada, Hungary, South Africa, Austria, England, Czechoslovakia, Netherlands, and India.
1936Each WIEP Juror uses an “electrical scoring device” to score each print, “after having the opportunity to discuss each print with his fellow jurors.”

The same panel of 5 jurors judged the first three salons. No prizes were awarded, and the prints were for sale.
19374th Salon includes 2 “tricolor photographs” by Cornelia Weston. An ad in the salon catalog introduces Kodak’s “new Kodachrome film.”
19385th salon comprises 230 prints selected from 1300 entries. Salon now ranks twelfth in the listing of the American Annual of Photography.
1939Venue moved to the newly-constructed Delaware Art Center, now the Delaware Art Museum.
19407th salon first to be judged by a panel that did not include any of the original 5 jurors.
1941Entry fee is $ 1, unknown for earlier years. Hand-colored prints not eligible. All accepts are hung under glass. First catalog to include statistics. 1051 entries from 8 foreign countries, including Honolulu.
1942“...on the assent of the authors, the proceeds from the sale of prints will be converted to war stamps or bonds, and will be remitted in that form.”

Awards given for the first time; 33 prints being designated as “honor prints.” Due to war, only foreign prints are from Cuba, China, and Mexico. Catalog available for purchase, fifteen cents.
1943Tenth WIEP. For reasons unknown, WIEP venue is YMCA lounge this year.  Only foreign prints Canadian. Associates list started divided into those designated as “Charter Associates,” and those who became Associates upon the results of the current salon. Charter Associates included DCC members Gottlieb & Hilda Hampfler, Edward T. Howell, and Henry B. Robertson. Charter Associates include 2 foreigners, Belgian Leonard Missone and Hungarian Erno Vadas.
12345678