Reader questions motives of ‘Kamera Klub’
By Canton CitizenDear Editor:
What’s in a name?
I finished the article Images on Glass by George Comeau published September 18 with much skepticism about the Kanton Kamera Klub. It is quite curious and suspicious that the group would settle upon a club name whose acronym was synonymous with the notorious Ku Klux Klan, a post-Civil War extremist group determined to establish a “pure” (white) American society. Equally curious is that their “klub” intended “to keep a certain exclusivity” and “gathered in each man’s home monthly to shoot the breeze, smoke cigars, and assess each other’s photo talents.”
Mr. Comeau says, “The minutes faithfully record the scene” of meetings with “spicy remarks” regarding the non-appearance of fellow members. Well, I for one am doubtful about the meticulous nature in which those minutes recorded meetings and suspect there was perhaps much more being discussed that is not part of the historical account. Indeed, were these “meticulous” meeting minutes a ruse?
Pardon me for reading between the lines, but one can easily jump to the conclusion that these “klub” members were sympathizers of the Ku Klux Klan and that their adopted name was a thinly veiled acknowledgement of their true personal pursuit.
Without seeing the body of their work and just a mere sampling, I am led to the suspicion that their passion for photography can quite possibly be construed as more than an artistic endeavor; that their choice of medium, the truthful camera, was their propaganda tool meant to illustrate idyllic American life ruled by white men. Considering the time of their establishment, and without further information, I wonder if they could have been attempting a radical social movement here in Canton?
The simple explanation of the Kanton Kamera Klub’s adopted name, as presented to us in “Images on Glass,” is woefully inadequate in this context and begs further exploration and explanation. That the acronym “KKK” was chosen over “CCK” or “CKC” or something else altogether baffles this reader. Were these not educated men of means? Were they not interested in the world around them? I find it impossible to believe that they were simply ignorant to the cruel racist acts of the day.
Without greater explanation, I cannot appreciate the portrayal of this particular historical account as presented by Mr. Comeau and the Canton Citizen. Nor can I have any great appreciation for “the amazing body of work that needs to be protected and preserved.” Instead, I am left with a feeling that the story glosses over something far more important than a pictorial account of genteel life by the most fortunate of men.
Ken Minkin
Canton resident
Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=27156
Posted by Canton Citizen
on Oct 9 2014. Filed under From One Citizen to Another, Opinion.
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