LASFS & OTHERS, 1930s/40s

Having supplied photos for Dave Langford's new free ebook edition of Francis Towner Laney's AH! SWEET IDIOCY! (link below), it occurred to me that it might be an idea to put up a page of further photos to accompany the release of that edition. So here are a few from the albums of Ted Carnell and J. Michael Rosenblum (scans supplied to me by the late Peter Weston). These would either have been sent to Carnell and Rosenblum back then by the photographers or plucked from those US fanzines that occasionally came with a photo print attached:


Paul Freehafer, Bob Madle, Erle Korshak, Ross Rocklynne, Walt Liebscher, Dale Tarr, Forry Ackerman, Julius Unger,
Robert Thompson, Trudy Kuslan. Morojo drinking from water fountain.(1940)

The left hand side of this photo was so bleached out that the figures were very faint. By taking that section and messing with the contrast I was able to bring all of them back except for Freehafer. I then pasted this back over the original, hence the obvious dividing line. I'm sure the photo could be enhanced further, but this is beyond my abilities.


Abby Lu and Al Ashley

Pogo, Forry Ackerman


Forry Ackerman

Russell A. Leadabrand, 1938


Milton Rothman, Sept 1940


A. Langley Searles

James V. Taurasi, 1938


Rear: Helen Finn, Dorothy Finn, Eleanor O'Brien, Morojo, Art Joquel, Ed Chamberlain, Gerald Miller, Henry Hasse
Front: Russell J. Hodgkins, Peggy Finn, Walt Daugherty, Forry Ackerman, Norwin Johnson

Photo taken at the 1941 LASFS Xmas Party and originally attached to the January 1942 issue of SHANGRI-L'AFFAIRES, the club's fanzine. The version of this same group at fanac.org shows Paul Freehafer in place of Russell J. Hodgkins, who it credits as the photographer. I think we can therefore reasonably conclude Freehafer was holding the camera for this one. I had thought LASFS shot a whole roll of film and had had enough prints made of the roll for SHANGRI-L'AFFAIRES so that there are also other versions of the group photo beside these two attached to that issue. However, the copy in the Vince Clarke fanzine collection (below) is the same as at Fanac.org.


Rear: Helen Finn, Dorothy Finn, Eleanor O'Brien, Morojo, Art Joquel, Ed Chamberlain, Gerald Miller, Henry Hasse
Front: Paul Freehafer, Peggy Finn, Walt Daugherty, Forry Ackerman, Norwin Johnson

The text accompanying the photo tells the story behind it:

SIXTH ANNUAL XMAS PARTY
(foto by Hodgkins)

Above you see see the graficlimax of the affair, each person exhibiting his/her gift. Each brot a present which was placed indiscriminately on the shelf in the club's mimeo supply closet as they arrived, and later each stepped up to the curtain and removed a package, grab-bag iashion. Order of present-picking was accompished alphabetically - beginning backwards. The Daughertys each received copies of Standard Publications... with packets of aspirin attached! Morojo is seen in the role of Sally Fann, with the two biggest suckers in town! An original illustration was Art Jolquel's selection: "Intrigue on the Upper Level", Hodgkins': Chamberlain drew a copy of Fanciful Tales: Action Stories featuring Bond's "Exiles of the Dawn World" was 4e's lot; Henry Hasse got "Taran the Terrible"; Paul Freehafer selection "Tarzan at the Earth's Core", Eng. edition; Peggy Finn picked "Jurgen" (& was promptly cautioned by all she was too young to read it!); her sister Dorothy copped Coblentz' "The Wonder Stick"; visitor Gerald Miller got embroiled in Wells' "War of the Worlds"; serial "Satan in Exile" to Norwin Johnson; while Helen Finn drew the prize of the occasion, a beautifully bound copy of the original BLIND SPOT and the 3rd Ann Ish Fantasy Mag!

Prior to the "pay-off" of the evening, Daugherty had raffled a deluxe edition of Edgar Allan Poe's "Tales of Imagination and Mystery", 15 quickly-taken tickets at 10c a chance. The winnah - Walt Daugherty! A triple-threat round-table contest also was held, in which the object was to be the last person able to name a story by a selected author. Ackerman won the Cummings contest, Hasse the Keller, and Joquel the Lovecraft; then the Big 3 were pitted against each other on Wells, and Forry came out first, selecting treasury-donated book "Shuddering Castle"; Joquel second, taking "Dian of the Lost Land"; and Hasse wound up with a "Woman Alive"....

Long letter from London, TransAtlantiClipperd from Ted Carnell, was read by the Director, various local fans being extended greetings of the season by name. Holiday cards to the Club were on display on the mantel, senders including "Cincinnati", Bob Olsen, Dick & Jessica Wilson, Ken Chapman, Walt Liebscher and Jno Jeffryes jnr.

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