Journal Photographers Ad – April 17, 1968

Here’s a nice promotional ad for the Lorain Journal’s staff of photographers, shown posing in front of the iconic Journal clock tower. It ran in the paper on April 17, 1968 – 50 years ago this month.

The staff at that time consisted of Chief Photographer Norm Bergsma and Photographers Bob White and Terry Thomas. 

Terry Thomas has left a comment or two on this blog over the years, since he worked with Journal cartoonist Gene Patrick, the subject of many blog posts. Thus I felt comfortable reaching out to Terry recently at his photography studio in Atlanta, Georgia to see what he remembered about this ad.

Terry graciously responded with the behind-the-scenes story.

“Boy oh boy, does that Journal advertisement bring back memories,” he wrote. "I used to have a copy of that page taped to my darkroom door which was in the basement of my parents home on Idaho Avenue.

“I don't remember whose idea it was to do this, but the three of us wanted to show off our collection of photography equipment in which we had invested. The only cameras that the Journal owned were a couple Yashica 120 twin lens reflexes that had some Honeywell strobes attached; the reporters used those."

Terry explained the paper’s “rules” regarding the photographic equipment.

“The Journal's position was that we *could* use the Yashica roll film cameras for our work,” he noted. "If, however, we wanted to use our own gear, such as 35mm Nikons, we were on our own. But if anything happened, the repairs or replacements came out of our pockets. We didn't want to use the roll film cameras because they didn't have a variety of lenses, motor drives or work fast.”

The Journal’s position about the cameras, etc. apparently was unique among newspapers.

As Terry noted, “Other newspapers, such as the Akron Beacon-Journal, owned and supplied all of the photography equipment that their photographers used. All of the awards that we won were created with our own equipment.”

But getting back to the story of the ad.

“So one sunny day, Norm Bergsma, Bob White and I hauled our gear up to the roof of the Lorain Journal building and posed for the photo,” reminisced Terry. "I am fairly certain that the late Gene Patrick created it. Gene was a very talented photographer, as well as an artist.

“Norm passed away a couple years ago down in the Arizona or New Mexico area. I once found his obituary on the web. 

"I have no idea about Bob's whereabouts these days. He married Kathy, one of the Journal's lovely reporters and the last I heard years ago, they were living in Sheffield Lake.”

So what is Terry doing these days? He’s still working and doing what he loves.

"These days, at age 73, I am still a working professional photographer," noted Terry. "I photograph food for restaurant advertising. I also work on the sets of films and television shows as the Director of Photography or Unit Stills Photographer, creating publicity photographs which are used to advertise and publicize the productions. From time to time, I can also be found in front of the camera as an actor. You can spot me in many scenes of Stranger Things - Season One.”

Special thanks to Terry for sharing some of his Journal memories! You can visit his Facebook page here.

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By the way, I noticed earlier this year that Global Plastics Technologies, the company leasing the former Morning Journal building, erected a new sign on the clock tower.