100 years of the RPS
MAURICE W Earley (1900-1982) was recognised as a leading railway photographer, but before he became really established, he wanted to encourage others to improve the standard of their railway photography.
His pioneering vision led him to form the Railway Postal Photographic Club in early 1922. He placed a ‘recruitment’ advertisement in the October 1922 issue of The Railway Magazine inviting like-minded individuals to join him (see panel for the clipping). In 1923, it became The Railway Photographic Postal Society; but later the reference to ‘Postal’ was dropped and the group was renamed as the Railway Photographic Society (RPS).
As far as is known, that advert in was the only occasion that members were recruited in this way, as RPS membership was thereafter only by invitation or
