photographer Randolphh MacDonald by Robert Lansdale – enlarged for the web with Topaz Photo AI
Toronto. Ev Roseborough as editor of our journal drew upon his extensive background in photography to write articles relevant to our members. In volume 16-3 (Nov/Dec 1990) Ev wrote a lengthy illustrated article about photographer Ran MacDonald titled, “A very private person – Randolph Macdonald ARPS, (Hon) FRPS, AIBP”.
Ev begins his article on this famous Toronto photographer as follows. “When I began to write what was intended originally to be a rather short obit., based on some fifty years of knowing and sometimes working with Randolph Macdonald on association matters [PPoC], it became increasingly clear that very few people really knew him. The more I probed members of the Arts and Letters Club and other organizations in which he had been active, Ran was remembered for doing a fine job but disappearing when it was completed.
“So it was with his contribution to staging the Annual Theatre Night at the A & L; Ran attended the lighting. Club members, such as A. J. Casson, would spend weekends at his Woodbridge farm and many fine painting and sketches resulted .
“To say that he was shy is untrue; unobtrusive, perhaps. But certainly a very private person was the handsome, gifted urbane gentleman who in 1938 bought the business of Charles Aylett.
“The Aylett studio was favoured by wealthy Torontonians for many years, here Ran took the plunge from camera club exhibitor into the world of professional photography.”
Well, regular readers know the drill: recent members can read the rest of Ev’s article and see the illustrations in the pdf file for issue 16-3 on the PHSC DVD we send free to all members. To join, see the membership menu item above or the information at far right. Questions? Drop Lilianne a note at member@phsc.ca.
