Photographic Canadiana Editor
Bob Lansdale
at last year’s spring fair
Toronto. Many of our members receive news of the society via a copy of Photographic Canadiana, but I wonder just how many members realize the efforts and research necessary to complete each issue? In the upper right hand corner of page 2 of each issue is a number.
For example, issue 45-1 for May/June of this year shows a tiny number 99. This means it is the 99th issue edited by Bob Lansdale!
The coming issue (45-2) will be the 100th issue he has personally edited. Bob took over from the late Ev Roseborough – no slouch himself when it came to editing. The first issue fully under Bob’s editorship was Volume 22, Number 4, back in January, 1997 – over 22 years ago. Just think – Bob has not only been our longest running editor, he has been editor for nearly half the time the society has been around. And every issue has been on time – no small accomplishment in itself.
Bob has made many changes to the journal during his twenty plus years as editor: creation went from cut and paste to digital; the journal went from 5 issues to 4 while retaining the same number of pages per year (to save postage); had its first colour insert; was revamped in style; began a stronger emphasis on Canadian history of photography; was made more readable; and was redesigned to be newsstand ready.
In addition to these journal changes, a news sheet insert was created to capture last minute items without impacting the magazine’s timing, design, or content; a colour pdf was initiated to cover colour images at lower cost and to announce PHSC events in a timely fashion; a network of writers and assistants was cultivated; and material for future issues was systematically organized and compiled.
Hats off Bob Lansdale and his 99 issues! Here’s looking forward to his issue number 100 next month!
