The Golden Age of American Photo Magazines: 1949-1989
When print publications defined and served a community of photo fans
By Jason Schneider
I’ll always have soft spot in my heart for Modern Photography, the magazine that published my first Camera Collector columns, and for my dear friend and mentor for nearly 40 years, the late, great Herbert (Burt) Keppler who almost singlehandedly transformed Modern into one of the most respected and influential photo magazines of all time. While Modern Photography’s acclaimed archrival, Popular Photography, was the number one photo enthusiast magazine in the world in terms of circulation and revenue until it ceased print publication in 2017, the birth of Modern Photography in 1949 and its demise in 1989 are, by sheer coincidence, defining events that serve to mark the era. There were many other worthy American photo magazines read and enjoyed by countless photo enthusiasts (including yours truly) during that 40-year time frame and they include U.S. Camera, Camera 35, Outdoor Photographer, Shutterbug, and American Photo. To give you a clearer picture of the “Golden Age” I’ll concentrate on the friendly but spirited rivalry between what everyone called “Pop” and “Modern” and the pungent personalities that made each one a source of inspiration and a pleasure to read.
Members of the American photo magazine press pose in front of the Agfa Headquarters in Leverkusen sometime in the early '80s. Norman Rothschild is in the front row on the extreme right, and Steve Sent, David Miller, George Schaub and Barry Tannenbaum are in the same row. How many others can you identify?
By and large the editors and staff at Modern thought of ourselves as the hipper, more technically savvy alternative to Pop Photo, which, to us, represented the smug, self-satisfied establishment. We certainly admired Pop’s technical savants such as Norman Goldberg and Bob Schwalberg and enjoyed the impish joi de vivre, puckish humor, and unbridled enthusiasm of Norman Rothschild, but we believed Modern Tests were more authoritative and comprehensive than the equipment reviews published in Pop, and indeed they were until Pop finally set up an objective testing regimen. Since I was basically a Modern guy (until I left in ‘87 and it was folded into Pop in 1989), I can’t speak directly to how Pop people viewed us, but I suspect it was akin to the way parents view their adolescent offspring—sympathetic tolerance with a touch of condescension. Basically, we knew we were doing the same job for different teams, so it was usually a friendly rivalry, but it could occasionally become more pointed. Soon after Modern was acquired by ABC Leisure Magazines the Modern staff paraded around the PMA trade show sporting lapel buttons emblazoned with, “Watch Out Pop, It’s As Easy As ABC” a not so veiled reference to the fact that we were now poised to eat their lunch!
Cover of first issue of Popular Photography, May 1937, featured an attractive bare-breasted woman toweling off after taking a shower. Price: a hefty 25 cents!
Popular Photography was inaugurated in May 1937, one of a series of hobbyist magazines published by Ziff-Davis Publishing Co. It’s amusing to note that the cover of the very first issue features a charmingly campy, semi-nude mage of an attractive young woman toweling herself off after taking a shower! In 1989, Pop Photo absorbed Modern Photography, its leading competitor for 52 years. After 2009 was acquired by the Swedish media group Bonnier that shut it down in March 2017, citing “insurmountable losses in advertising and audience support,” and narrowly missing 80 years of continuous publication. While “Pop” always had robust competitors it surpassed its rivals in terms of page count, circulation, and revenue, and was a preferred venue for advertising photo related products and services. Aimed at a wide spectrum of shooters from novices to accomplished enthusiasts and pros, Pop Photo typically included articles on photo techniques such as lighting, composition, and image control, and featured hands-on equipment reviews. But it also showcased photography and included such sophisticated, thought-provoking articles as Photography’s First 100 Years by Beaumont Newhall of the Museum of Modern Art (1939) and Photographing Trees by legendary photographic master Edward Weston who sagely advised “the wise photographer” to use the time-honored system of “making pictures first and the rules afterwards.” Since October 2020 the Popular Photography title and website are owned by North Equity, along with other iconic magazine titles such as Popular Science. Kudos to camera-wiki.org for their excellent entry on the history of Popular Photography, the source of much of the factual material presented above.
Pop Photo Personalities in brief
Norman Rothschild: An experienced and adept photographer who left a notable pictorial legacy, Norm Rothschild will be remembered as an editorial legend who was an editor and contributor to Pop Photo for 33 years. “Offbeat,” his aptly named monthly column, was a treasure trove of technical ingenuity and effective techniques gleaned from his years behind the lens, always tinged with amusing observations and lighthearted sarcasm. I always thought of him as a “professional amateur” who pursued photography for the love of it, and that’s why he was the perfect surrogate for Pop’s audience of aspiring enthusiasts. Edward Steichen called him “the man who makes rainbows,” referencing his brilliant prismatic experimental images exploring the possibilities of color photography. Burt Keppler lauded him him as a “living photographic legend” prior to his death in 1995 at age 82.
Bob Schwalberg is festooned with SLRs in this wonderful portrait by Phil Leonian that ran in Popular Photography.
Bob Schwalberg: Affectionately known as “Mr. Leica” for his encyclopedic knowledge of Leica lore and his exceptional technical acumen, acquired largely through self-study, Bob began his career as a photojournalist who worked for PIX Publishing, a New York City photo agency that supplied news and feature photos to magazines, notably Life and later Sports Illustrated. Beginning in 1950 he joined Popular Photography, becoming a prolific writer of highly acclaimed technical articles on a variety of topics including film and developing, camera and lens design, and shooting techniques. All his writings were spiced with his hilariously sarcastic observations and asides, many delivered with deadpan detachment. Bob was fluent in German and worked for nearly 7 years for E. Leitz Wetzlar in the public relations and product design departments, and as a European correspondent, before returning to New York to resume writing for Pop. Two of Schwalberg’s iconic photographs were included in The Family of Man curated by Edward Steichen and many have speculated that he would have been remembered as a great photographer if he had concentrated on photojournalism rather than dedicating his life to writing about photography. Bob will always be remembered by photojournalists of a certain age for inventing the Schwalberg Strap, an ingenious leather shoulder strap, typically used on M-series Leicas, that carries the camera on one shoulder, under a jacket, and has a swivel snap fastener placed so the camera can be quickly unsnapped without removing the jacket. Genuine used Schwalberg straps occasionally show up on online auction sites, but they’re usually quite pricey.
Norman Goldberg: The longtime de facto technical director of Pop Photo, he was eventually elevated to that official title. His encyclopedic knowledge of camera technology, optics, mechanics, and electronics was based on his hands-on a 5-year apprenticeship in camera repair, and attending the Illinois Institute of Technology. In 1951, at the age of 20, he moved from Chicago to Wisconsin and established Cameracraft, an independent workshop specializing in repairs and custom equipment modifications for pro photographers. In 1966 as a technical consultant, he devised a lens testing program and set up Pop Photo’s test lab, and officially joined the staff in 1972. He wrote numerous technical articles for the magazine that are still widely acclaimed for explaining highly complex topics in clear, concise, understandable language. In 1992 he published a book, puckish entitled “Camera Technology: The Dark Side of the Lens.” In reviewing this volume Rudolf Kingslake, one of the most renowned lens designers of the 20[SUP]th[/SUP] century, wrote the following:
“This book is remarkable…not like any other book I have ever seen. Based on the author’s experience as a repairman and writer, he has acquired a unique fund of knowledge about cameras and camera design that is hard to duplicate anywhere. The detailed descriptions of mechanisms and wonderful explanatory diagrams could hardly be improved upon.”
In addition to his eloquence and talent as a writer Norman Goldberg’s crowning achievement is his 1961 Cameracraft N-5 electric motor for the Leica M2 and MP, a design so good that Leica scrapped its own design for a time, and adopted his! He also devised an ingenuous belt clip for M-series Leicas and held numerous patents. But for Pop Photo readers of a certain age Goldberg will always be remembered for his brilliant and accessible technical articles that explained how technology works as only someone with hands-on knowledge can convey. Norman’s son Don Goldberg follows in his dad’s footsteps to this day as one of the premier Leica repair people on the planet.
I also fondly recall, in no special order, the following Popular Photography people: John Durniak worked at Pop from 1952 to 1968, starting as an associate editor and rising through the ranks to become Editor-in-Chief from 1966-1968. John was a standup guy and a great editor who tirelessly advocated for the countless photographers he befriended, and for photography itself. The great Life photographer Carl Mydans noted, “John Durniak was one of the first to realize the potential of the 35mm camera…and he told photojournalists ‘Don’t forget what you are, You are reporters telling stories in pictures.’” Later Pop editors including Jim Zanutto and Ken Poli, carried forth in John Durniak’s tradition of astute editorial stewardship and helped to elevate the pictorial and technical content of the magazine. Both were friendly, accessible, and unfailingly kind to everyone, including us, their archrivals at Modern Photography. We also admired the work of Bill Pierce, Pop’s nuts and bolts column techie and David Vestal, a brilliant photographer on the staff of the Pop Photo Annual picture extravaganza who made the transition from traditional to digital inkjet printing.
October1949 cover of Modern Photography notes that it incorporated Minicam, its successful small-format predecessor launched months after Pop in 1937.
Modern Photography was evolved from Minicam, “the Miniature Camera Monthly” that was launched in September 1937 by the Automobile Publishing Company of Cleveland, Ohio. Minicam, printed in a small 6-1/2 x 9-1/2-inch size, was devoted to the upcoming 35mm “miniature” format that was becoming increasingly popular among amateurs and photojournalists, and gained considerable momentum with the introduction of 35mm Kodachrome slide film in 1935. Minicam’s first editor was George R. Hoxie, an art and portrait photographer who shot memorable pictures of celebrities including Basil Rathbone, Bennet Cerf, Robert Frost, and Salvador Dali. While Minicam’s monthly circulation of 110,000 was certainly nothing to sneeze at in those days, the magazine’s small format was unattractive to advertisers, so when it was purchased by Photographic Publishing Company of New York in 1949 they renamed it Modern Photography and increased its size to standard magazine format so it could go head-to-head with other U.S. photo magazines including (you guessed it!) Popular Photography. The person most influential in guiding the destiny, concept, and content of Modern Photography over the years was Herbert (Burt) Keppler, who was associate editor starting in 1950, became executive editor in 1956, editor and publisher in 1963, and editorial director and publisher in 1966. Patricia Caulfield, who worked closely with and briefly succeeded Keppler, studied photography at the University of Rochester. worked at the George Eastman House, initially signed on as a secretary at Modern, and steadily advanced to the final position of executive editor. An accomplished technical writer, she will be remembered for her charming and astute articles offering advice to amateur photographers and as a passionate advocate for the preservation of the Everglades.
Modern Photography, September 1955. Modern did a creditable job covering photography and photographers, but its special sauce was cameras and lenses.
Modern Photography offered an impressive variety of content, all aimed at emerging to experienced photo enthusiasts and pros that wanted to keep up on the latest equipment and techniques. Burt Keppler wrote a popular column, “Keppler’s SLR Notebook,” on the ecstasies and agonies of his favorite type of camera, “Hard Knocks” featured critical reviews of readers’ photos, Jason Schneider’s “The Camera Collector,” held forth on historical and collectible cameras, Art Kramer’s “The View from Kramer” explored view camera equipment and techniques, and “Coffee Break With thee Editors” by ace writer David L. Miller was an engagingly chatty monthly that revealed the human side of the people behind the editorial titles. Keppler, Modern’s most prolific content creator, also wrote countless technical reviews, editorials, and articles on an extensive range of topics related to film, cameras, and photography.
January 1953 Modern Photography cover features a lovely winter-clad skier photographed by acclaimed pro Ozzie Sweet. Inside: "Enlarging A to Z. "
Perhaps the most important and best-read feature in the magazine was Modern Tests, an unflinching and objective analysis of the latest cameras, lenses, meters, and photo-related accessories. Indeed, guided by Keppler and executed over the years by a team of qualified experts including Technical Director Larry White, Lab Directors Hiroshi Kimata and Kenny Yamamoto, and technical polymath and general wizard Mike McNamara (who, like White and Kimata, is R.I.T Photo Science graduate), the magazine developed a world class test lab that evaluated photographic equipment using the state-of-the-art test procedures and criteria. For many years Modern tested lens resolution using an array of precision printed U.S. Air Force resolution test targets to determine definition in the centers and corners of the field, but this was later changed to MTF testing with theresults presented as quality grades using a system called SQF (subjective quality factor) which is extremely objective, but ultimately based on how humans perceive sharpness. Largely based on objective testing results, Keppler championed the quality of Japanese cameras and lenses at a time when much anti-Japanese bias still prevailed, and the magazine even hired consultants from the JCII (Japan Camera Inspection Institute) to ensure the accuracy of its tests so a “Modern Seal of Approval” could be awarded, ensuring that the equipment would be replaced or repaired by the distributor if it didn’t perform as tested!
Modern Photography also published spin-ff publications such as the Modern Photography Annual a large selection of outstanding pictures spanning many genres, complete with technical data, the Photo Buying Guide, a compilation of equipment reviews, the Photo Information Almanac, a compilation of useful facts, formulas and specs, and How to Photograph Nudes. After Capital Cities-ABC sold Modern to Diamandis Communications (DCI) the new owner announced that Modern would cease publication with the July, 1989 issue and that its subscriber list would be taken over by Popular Photography, another DCI property, By that time Herbert Keppler, Jason Schneider, and Larry White were comfortably ensconced at Popular Photography having resigned from Modern in 1987, and Popular Photography had been thoroughly “Moderrn-ized.” For the record DCI reported that Modern’s final circulation figure was 689,000, but according to photo historian Bob Lazaroff the actual “subscriber number at merger” was 500,000. Yes, the 3 major Modern staffers (including yours truly) that managed to escape to Popular Photography prior to the magazine’s closing felt truly awful about all the fine and dedicated Modern staffers that were summarily terminated when the magazine suddenly shuttered their doors. I well know how that feels because I was summarily terminated by Popular Photography in 2003 after serving nearly 16 years as its Editor-in-Chief, Such art the vicissitudes of magazine publishing in the 21[SUP]st[/SUP] century.
Modern’s personalities in brief
Herbert (Burt) Keppler: Born in New York City on 21 April 1925, Burt was the son of Victor Keppler, a renowned commercial photographer and illustrator, so he was always immersed in the world of photography, taking pictures from the time he was 6 and processing his own color photos by age 10. He earned a B.A. from Harvard during WWII and was commissioned as an ensign in the U.S. Navy at the tail end of the war, He served as an officer aboard an LCS (landing craft support ship), eventually becoming a lieutenant, the commanding officer of a crew of 65. Aware that his crew of seasoned veterans of the Pacific campaign knew much more about operating a ship than he did, Lieutenant Keppler addressed them with his signature combination of leadership and humility: “I know I have a lot to learn about the way this ship runs, and I really need your help. If you help me, I will do my level best to help you.” Later, when his men were reluctant to take on a particularly onerous and dangerous maintenance task, Keppler took up the proper tools and began doing it himself. “Sir, what are you doing?” a crewmember asked incredulously. “I wouldn’t ask you to do anything I wouldn’t do myself,” Keppler replied. The crew promptly rose to the occasion and did what was required. These incidents have nothing to do with photography per se, but they say volumes about the character of the man who was to become one of the most influential people in shaping the photographic industry for more than half a century.
Herbert (Burt) Keppler, the man who transformed Modern Photography into a great magazine, and a force in the photo industry for half a century.
After the war Keppler went into newspaper and magazine journalism. He was a reporter for the old New York Sun, which helped hone his natural writing skills, and worked for Footwear News, a trade magazine.
Finally, in 1950, his journalistic talent and photographic passion came together, and he signed on as associate editor at a new photo magazine called Modern Photography. “It was a shoestring operation with one typewriter, a folding table for a desk, and the chain of command was a little sketchy—but I knew one thing for sure; I wasn’t the boss,” Keppler recalled. By the time Keppler left Modern in 1987 he had transformed the magazine into one of the most respected, admired, and financially successful magazines of its kind in the world.
Here in brief are some of his major accomplishments:
Burt Keppler was a great natural writer with an engaging, straight-from-the-shoulder style. He came across as someone talking directly to a friend, which in a way he was. He was also a miserable and incorrigible speller who made the same damn mistakes repeatedly for over 40 years. As his longtime copy editor (and a reasonably good speller) it was frustrating, but in time I came to view it as an endearing quirk. On the opposite end if the mnemonic spectrum, Burt Keppler’s ability to remember people’s names and associate them with faces was simply astonishing. On one 3-week visit we made to Japan together, we traveled all over the country and met well over 100 Japanese, whom he greeted individually by name without referring to name cards, company lists or notes. Everyone was impressed and flattered by the thought that someone of his stature would take the time to memorize their name, but he did it unconsciously, flawlessly, and effortlessly, surely a mark of genius. I commend anyone seeking to be entertained and informed on any subject related to photography to google the writings of Herbert (Burt) Keppler. You won’t be disappointed.
Jason Schneider as he is today, older but no wiser than he was before. Kudos to ace camera repairman Bill Moretz who broke his lens shooting the portrait.
Jason Schneider: He joined Modern Photography in October 1969 at the age of 27 as associate editor and creator of The Camera Collector, one of the first regularly appearing (monthly) columns on the then arcane pursuit of camera collecting. Shortly afterward, he became the de facto lab tech when his predecessor in that role was drafted into the army, and Schneider was extremely lucky to have Bennett Sherman, a Project & Research Engineer at Farrand Optical Co., New York, teach him how to operate our Gaertner Optical Bench and Zelox shutter speed and exposure testers, and how to shoot lines-per-millimeter resolution tests with a UASF 1951 test reticle and an array of precisely printed test targets. Bennet Sherman, an accomplished oboist, was himself a brilliant writer who turned out a definitive multi-page article in Modern in 1958 entitled, “SHUTTERS, How can you test yours? Which is the most accurate?” complete with excellent illustrations--well worth looking up. For many years Schneider held the oddly grandiloquent title of Senior Projects & Research Editor and turned our technical articles, camera and lens test reports, film and camera roundups, and feature articles including The Camera Collector and finally became Editor in-Chief in the mid ‘80s before jumping ship and switching to Pop Photo in 1987. He is an entertaining writer when he restrains his tendency to prolixity
Myron (Mike) Matzkin was born on 25 February 1924, was an NCAA champion fencer and served in the Army in Italy and Africa during WWII. An avid photographer and editor at Modern he wrote on a variety of topics from shooting movies and sports to camera and lighting techniques. Later, he started his own public relations firm representing Nikon, and eventually went to work for Canon as National Director of Public Relations. Mike’s work is always fun to read and expresses his passion for photography, He passed away on 2 March 2022 at the ripe old age of 98. By the way, if you’re interested in shooting movies or video, look up the superb movie and video columns and articles in Modern Photography written by Anthony (Tony) Galluzzo, a hands-on cinematographer and the best in the business.
The irrepressible Mike Matzkin with his beloved Canon VT Deluxe. He was a dyed-in-the-wool photo enthusiast and his engaging articles proved it.
Julia Scully, the Editor at Modern for 20 years, is unsurpassed in writing about the art photography, photographers, and the photographic scene. Her observations are often brilliantly incisive, and she writes with an understated grace few of her peers could match, Scully’s longtime friend and associate Andy Grundberg is a similarly gifted writer whose articles on photography and photographers are a must read for anyone fascinated by the fine art of photography.
Julia Scully, flashing her signature smile, wrote incisive articles on photography as an art form, the work of leading photographers, and the gallery scene.
Andy Grundberg wrote many outstanding articles for Modern on photo styles and trends, reviews of notable photographers' work, and is still a leading critic
Just what happened to cause the demise of Modern Photography and why was it folded into Popular Photography in 1989? Here’s the story directly from the horse’s mouth, in a letter to reader who simply asked:
"By 1986, Modern Photography had slowly but surely crept up on Popular Photography, nearly equaling it in circulation and bypassing it in advertising pages and revenue. From 1963 to 1987 I was Editor and Publisher and later Editorial Director of Modern Photography. During that time Leonard Goldenson, Chairman of the Board of The American Broadcasting Company, Modern’s owners, gave me a very free hand in the running of the editorial, advertising, production, and circulation of the magazine. Leonard, over 80 years old, retired in 1986, turning ABC and its magazines over to Cap Cities.
Just prior to that event, Seth Baker, President of all ABC Leisure Magazines. leaving for another job, offered me his position. I turned it down preferring my beloved Modern Photography. As you know, refusing a top position is very dangerous since the persons who do get the senior positions will inevitably try to get rid of you. and did.
At the same time, providentially, Peter Diamandis, president of CBS magazines asked me to take over Popular Photography as editorial director while John Miller, Publisher of American Photo handled the publishing position. The idea was that John and I would work together to reverse the financial problems that Popular Photography was having. We were given three years to do it. John and I worked well together and finished the assignment in a year and a half. During that 18-month period I brought from Modern many editorial and advertising personnel and quite a bit of the advertising as well.
I am not certain who made the first approach, CBS or Cap Cities, but CBS offered to buy out Modern Photography, and it was done.
Hope that does it for you,
Herbert Keppler
When print publications defined and served a community of photo fans
By Jason Schneider
I’ll always have soft spot in my heart for Modern Photography, the magazine that published my first Camera Collector columns, and for my dear friend and mentor for nearly 40 years, the late, great Herbert (Burt) Keppler who almost singlehandedly transformed Modern into one of the most respected and influential photo magazines of all time. While Modern Photography’s acclaimed archrival, Popular Photography, was the number one photo enthusiast magazine in the world in terms of circulation and revenue until it ceased print publication in 2017, the birth of Modern Photography in 1949 and its demise in 1989 are, by sheer coincidence, defining events that serve to mark the era. There were many other worthy American photo magazines read and enjoyed by countless photo enthusiasts (including yours truly) during that 40-year time frame and they include U.S. Camera, Camera 35, Outdoor Photographer, Shutterbug, and American Photo. To give you a clearer picture of the “Golden Age” I’ll concentrate on the friendly but spirited rivalry between what everyone called “Pop” and “Modern” and the pungent personalities that made each one a source of inspiration and a pleasure to read.
Members of the American photo magazine press pose in front of the Agfa Headquarters in Leverkusen sometime in the early '80s. Norman Rothschild is in the front row on the extreme right, and Steve Sent, David Miller, George Schaub and Barry Tannenbaum are in the same row. How many others can you identify?
By and large the editors and staff at Modern thought of ourselves as the hipper, more technically savvy alternative to Pop Photo, which, to us, represented the smug, self-satisfied establishment. We certainly admired Pop’s technical savants such as Norman Goldberg and Bob Schwalberg and enjoyed the impish joi de vivre, puckish humor, and unbridled enthusiasm of Norman Rothschild, but we believed Modern Tests were more authoritative and comprehensive than the equipment reviews published in Pop, and indeed they were until Pop finally set up an objective testing regimen. Since I was basically a Modern guy (until I left in ‘87 and it was folded into Pop in 1989), I can’t speak directly to how Pop people viewed us, but I suspect it was akin to the way parents view their adolescent offspring—sympathetic tolerance with a touch of condescension. Basically, we knew we were doing the same job for different teams, so it was usually a friendly rivalry, but it could occasionally become more pointed. Soon after Modern was acquired by ABC Leisure Magazines the Modern staff paraded around the PMA trade show sporting lapel buttons emblazoned with, “Watch Out Pop, It’s As Easy As ABC” a not so veiled reference to the fact that we were now poised to eat their lunch!
Cover of first issue of Popular Photography, May 1937, featured an attractive bare-breasted woman toweling off after taking a shower. Price: a hefty 25 cents!
Popular Photography was inaugurated in May 1937, one of a series of hobbyist magazines published by Ziff-Davis Publishing Co. It’s amusing to note that the cover of the very first issue features a charmingly campy, semi-nude mage of an attractive young woman toweling herself off after taking a shower! In 1989, Pop Photo absorbed Modern Photography, its leading competitor for 52 years. After 2009 was acquired by the Swedish media group Bonnier that shut it down in March 2017, citing “insurmountable losses in advertising and audience support,” and narrowly missing 80 years of continuous publication. While “Pop” always had robust competitors it surpassed its rivals in terms of page count, circulation, and revenue, and was a preferred venue for advertising photo related products and services. Aimed at a wide spectrum of shooters from novices to accomplished enthusiasts and pros, Pop Photo typically included articles on photo techniques such as lighting, composition, and image control, and featured hands-on equipment reviews. But it also showcased photography and included such sophisticated, thought-provoking articles as Photography’s First 100 Years by Beaumont Newhall of the Museum of Modern Art (1939) and Photographing Trees by legendary photographic master Edward Weston who sagely advised “the wise photographer” to use the time-honored system of “making pictures first and the rules afterwards.” Since October 2020 the Popular Photography title and website are owned by North Equity, along with other iconic magazine titles such as Popular Science. Kudos to camera-wiki.org for their excellent entry on the history of Popular Photography, the source of much of the factual material presented above.
Pop Photo Personalities in brief
Norman Rothschild: An experienced and adept photographer who left a notable pictorial legacy, Norm Rothschild will be remembered as an editorial legend who was an editor and contributor to Pop Photo for 33 years. “Offbeat,” his aptly named monthly column, was a treasure trove of technical ingenuity and effective techniques gleaned from his years behind the lens, always tinged with amusing observations and lighthearted sarcasm. I always thought of him as a “professional amateur” who pursued photography for the love of it, and that’s why he was the perfect surrogate for Pop’s audience of aspiring enthusiasts. Edward Steichen called him “the man who makes rainbows,” referencing his brilliant prismatic experimental images exploring the possibilities of color photography. Burt Keppler lauded him him as a “living photographic legend” prior to his death in 1995 at age 82.
Bob Schwalberg is festooned with SLRs in this wonderful portrait by Phil Leonian that ran in Popular Photography.
Bob Schwalberg: Affectionately known as “Mr. Leica” for his encyclopedic knowledge of Leica lore and his exceptional technical acumen, acquired largely through self-study, Bob began his career as a photojournalist who worked for PIX Publishing, a New York City photo agency that supplied news and feature photos to magazines, notably Life and later Sports Illustrated. Beginning in 1950 he joined Popular Photography, becoming a prolific writer of highly acclaimed technical articles on a variety of topics including film and developing, camera and lens design, and shooting techniques. All his writings were spiced with his hilariously sarcastic observations and asides, many delivered with deadpan detachment. Bob was fluent in German and worked for nearly 7 years for E. Leitz Wetzlar in the public relations and product design departments, and as a European correspondent, before returning to New York to resume writing for Pop. Two of Schwalberg’s iconic photographs were included in The Family of Man curated by Edward Steichen and many have speculated that he would have been remembered as a great photographer if he had concentrated on photojournalism rather than dedicating his life to writing about photography. Bob will always be remembered by photojournalists of a certain age for inventing the Schwalberg Strap, an ingenious leather shoulder strap, typically used on M-series Leicas, that carries the camera on one shoulder, under a jacket, and has a swivel snap fastener placed so the camera can be quickly unsnapped without removing the jacket. Genuine used Schwalberg straps occasionally show up on online auction sites, but they’re usually quite pricey.
Norman Goldberg: The longtime de facto technical director of Pop Photo, he was eventually elevated to that official title. His encyclopedic knowledge of camera technology, optics, mechanics, and electronics was based on his hands-on a 5-year apprenticeship in camera repair, and attending the Illinois Institute of Technology. In 1951, at the age of 20, he moved from Chicago to Wisconsin and established Cameracraft, an independent workshop specializing in repairs and custom equipment modifications for pro photographers. In 1966 as a technical consultant, he devised a lens testing program and set up Pop Photo’s test lab, and officially joined the staff in 1972. He wrote numerous technical articles for the magazine that are still widely acclaimed for explaining highly complex topics in clear, concise, understandable language. In 1992 he published a book, puckish entitled “Camera Technology: The Dark Side of the Lens.” In reviewing this volume Rudolf Kingslake, one of the most renowned lens designers of the 20[SUP]th[/SUP] century, wrote the following:
“This book is remarkable…not like any other book I have ever seen. Based on the author’s experience as a repairman and writer, he has acquired a unique fund of knowledge about cameras and camera design that is hard to duplicate anywhere. The detailed descriptions of mechanisms and wonderful explanatory diagrams could hardly be improved upon.”
In addition to his eloquence and talent as a writer Norman Goldberg’s crowning achievement is his 1961 Cameracraft N-5 electric motor for the Leica M2 and MP, a design so good that Leica scrapped its own design for a time, and adopted his! He also devised an ingenuous belt clip for M-series Leicas and held numerous patents. But for Pop Photo readers of a certain age Goldberg will always be remembered for his brilliant and accessible technical articles that explained how technology works as only someone with hands-on knowledge can convey. Norman’s son Don Goldberg follows in his dad’s footsteps to this day as one of the premier Leica repair people on the planet.
I also fondly recall, in no special order, the following Popular Photography people: John Durniak worked at Pop from 1952 to 1968, starting as an associate editor and rising through the ranks to become Editor-in-Chief from 1966-1968. John was a standup guy and a great editor who tirelessly advocated for the countless photographers he befriended, and for photography itself. The great Life photographer Carl Mydans noted, “John Durniak was one of the first to realize the potential of the 35mm camera…and he told photojournalists ‘Don’t forget what you are, You are reporters telling stories in pictures.’” Later Pop editors including Jim Zanutto and Ken Poli, carried forth in John Durniak’s tradition of astute editorial stewardship and helped to elevate the pictorial and technical content of the magazine. Both were friendly, accessible, and unfailingly kind to everyone, including us, their archrivals at Modern Photography. We also admired the work of Bill Pierce, Pop’s nuts and bolts column techie and David Vestal, a brilliant photographer on the staff of the Pop Photo Annual picture extravaganza who made the transition from traditional to digital inkjet printing.
October1949 cover of Modern Photography notes that it incorporated Minicam, its successful small-format predecessor launched months after Pop in 1937.
Modern Photography was evolved from Minicam, “the Miniature Camera Monthly” that was launched in September 1937 by the Automobile Publishing Company of Cleveland, Ohio. Minicam, printed in a small 6-1/2 x 9-1/2-inch size, was devoted to the upcoming 35mm “miniature” format that was becoming increasingly popular among amateurs and photojournalists, and gained considerable momentum with the introduction of 35mm Kodachrome slide film in 1935. Minicam’s first editor was George R. Hoxie, an art and portrait photographer who shot memorable pictures of celebrities including Basil Rathbone, Bennet Cerf, Robert Frost, and Salvador Dali. While Minicam’s monthly circulation of 110,000 was certainly nothing to sneeze at in those days, the magazine’s small format was unattractive to advertisers, so when it was purchased by Photographic Publishing Company of New York in 1949 they renamed it Modern Photography and increased its size to standard magazine format so it could go head-to-head with other U.S. photo magazines including (you guessed it!) Popular Photography. The person most influential in guiding the destiny, concept, and content of Modern Photography over the years was Herbert (Burt) Keppler, who was associate editor starting in 1950, became executive editor in 1956, editor and publisher in 1963, and editorial director and publisher in 1966. Patricia Caulfield, who worked closely with and briefly succeeded Keppler, studied photography at the University of Rochester. worked at the George Eastman House, initially signed on as a secretary at Modern, and steadily advanced to the final position of executive editor. An accomplished technical writer, she will be remembered for her charming and astute articles offering advice to amateur photographers and as a passionate advocate for the preservation of the Everglades.
Modern Photography, September 1955. Modern did a creditable job covering photography and photographers, but its special sauce was cameras and lenses.
Modern Photography offered an impressive variety of content, all aimed at emerging to experienced photo enthusiasts and pros that wanted to keep up on the latest equipment and techniques. Burt Keppler wrote a popular column, “Keppler’s SLR Notebook,” on the ecstasies and agonies of his favorite type of camera, “Hard Knocks” featured critical reviews of readers’ photos, Jason Schneider’s “The Camera Collector,” held forth on historical and collectible cameras, Art Kramer’s “The View from Kramer” explored view camera equipment and techniques, and “Coffee Break With thee Editors” by ace writer David L. Miller was an engagingly chatty monthly that revealed the human side of the people behind the editorial titles. Keppler, Modern’s most prolific content creator, also wrote countless technical reviews, editorials, and articles on an extensive range of topics related to film, cameras, and photography.
January 1953 Modern Photography cover features a lovely winter-clad skier photographed by acclaimed pro Ozzie Sweet. Inside: "Enlarging A to Z. "
Perhaps the most important and best-read feature in the magazine was Modern Tests, an unflinching and objective analysis of the latest cameras, lenses, meters, and photo-related accessories. Indeed, guided by Keppler and executed over the years by a team of qualified experts including Technical Director Larry White, Lab Directors Hiroshi Kimata and Kenny Yamamoto, and technical polymath and general wizard Mike McNamara (who, like White and Kimata, is R.I.T Photo Science graduate), the magazine developed a world class test lab that evaluated photographic equipment using the state-of-the-art test procedures and criteria. For many years Modern tested lens resolution using an array of precision printed U.S. Air Force resolution test targets to determine definition in the centers and corners of the field, but this was later changed to MTF testing with theresults presented as quality grades using a system called SQF (subjective quality factor) which is extremely objective, but ultimately based on how humans perceive sharpness. Largely based on objective testing results, Keppler championed the quality of Japanese cameras and lenses at a time when much anti-Japanese bias still prevailed, and the magazine even hired consultants from the JCII (Japan Camera Inspection Institute) to ensure the accuracy of its tests so a “Modern Seal of Approval” could be awarded, ensuring that the equipment would be replaced or repaired by the distributor if it didn’t perform as tested!
Modern Photography also published spin-ff publications such as the Modern Photography Annual a large selection of outstanding pictures spanning many genres, complete with technical data, the Photo Buying Guide, a compilation of equipment reviews, the Photo Information Almanac, a compilation of useful facts, formulas and specs, and How to Photograph Nudes. After Capital Cities-ABC sold Modern to Diamandis Communications (DCI) the new owner announced that Modern would cease publication with the July, 1989 issue and that its subscriber list would be taken over by Popular Photography, another DCI property, By that time Herbert Keppler, Jason Schneider, and Larry White were comfortably ensconced at Popular Photography having resigned from Modern in 1987, and Popular Photography had been thoroughly “Moderrn-ized.” For the record DCI reported that Modern’s final circulation figure was 689,000, but according to photo historian Bob Lazaroff the actual “subscriber number at merger” was 500,000. Yes, the 3 major Modern staffers (including yours truly) that managed to escape to Popular Photography prior to the magazine’s closing felt truly awful about all the fine and dedicated Modern staffers that were summarily terminated when the magazine suddenly shuttered their doors. I well know how that feels because I was summarily terminated by Popular Photography in 2003 after serving nearly 16 years as its Editor-in-Chief, Such art the vicissitudes of magazine publishing in the 21[SUP]st[/SUP] century.
Modern’s personalities in brief
Herbert (Burt) Keppler: Born in New York City on 21 April 1925, Burt was the son of Victor Keppler, a renowned commercial photographer and illustrator, so he was always immersed in the world of photography, taking pictures from the time he was 6 and processing his own color photos by age 10. He earned a B.A. from Harvard during WWII and was commissioned as an ensign in the U.S. Navy at the tail end of the war, He served as an officer aboard an LCS (landing craft support ship), eventually becoming a lieutenant, the commanding officer of a crew of 65. Aware that his crew of seasoned veterans of the Pacific campaign knew much more about operating a ship than he did, Lieutenant Keppler addressed them with his signature combination of leadership and humility: “I know I have a lot to learn about the way this ship runs, and I really need your help. If you help me, I will do my level best to help you.” Later, when his men were reluctant to take on a particularly onerous and dangerous maintenance task, Keppler took up the proper tools and began doing it himself. “Sir, what are you doing?” a crewmember asked incredulously. “I wouldn’t ask you to do anything I wouldn’t do myself,” Keppler replied. The crew promptly rose to the occasion and did what was required. These incidents have nothing to do with photography per se, but they say volumes about the character of the man who was to become one of the most influential people in shaping the photographic industry for more than half a century.
Herbert (Burt) Keppler, the man who transformed Modern Photography into a great magazine, and a force in the photo industry for half a century.
After the war Keppler went into newspaper and magazine journalism. He was a reporter for the old New York Sun, which helped hone his natural writing skills, and worked for Footwear News, a trade magazine.
Finally, in 1950, his journalistic talent and photographic passion came together, and he signed on as associate editor at a new photo magazine called Modern Photography. “It was a shoestring operation with one typewriter, a folding table for a desk, and the chain of command was a little sketchy—but I knew one thing for sure; I wasn’t the boss,” Keppler recalled. By the time Keppler left Modern in 1987 he had transformed the magazine into one of the most respected, admired, and financially successful magazines of its kind in the world.
Here in brief are some of his major accomplishments:
- With the help of qualified experts, he established a system of objective, repeatable camera, lens, and equipment testing based on scientific measurements of standardized performance parameters, creating a comprehensive testing protocol. He made sure this program was carried out with the utmost integrity, a vast advance over the bad old days when only advertisers received favorable reviews in many photographic magazines
- He was a tireless champion of the SLR and wrote a very popular decades-long series on the advantages if SLRs over the then-dominant rangefinder cameras including their upside potential for future development. Once he was proven right, he continued to offer sage practical advice on a wide variety of topics, always in his inimitably direct homespun style that endeared him to generations of readers.
- He was one of the first Western photo magazine journalists to recognize the vast potential of the Japanese photographic industry and to write extensively about the excellence and ingenuity of Japanese cameras and lenses. He traveled to Japan beginning in 1956, returning at two-year intervals thereafter, to establish close personal ties with everyone in the Japanese photo industry from corporate heads to senior engineers, and they clearly valued his astute counsel.
- He developed a layered structure of editorial presentation so busy readers could access the key points of an article by perusing the headlines, photos, and captions. Hi profound understanding of the reader and the reader’s needs was pioneering, looking forward to the concise content-rich editorial presentation in today’s print and online publications.
- Not content to simply talk about what makes a good B/W print, Burt originated showing Modern readers what B/W quality is by offering his own high quality 8x10 B/W prints so they could see what B/W print quality looked like with their own eyes – for the astoundingly exorbitant sum of $20 including shipping in the mid ‘70s if memory serves.
Burt Keppler was a great natural writer with an engaging, straight-from-the-shoulder style. He came across as someone talking directly to a friend, which in a way he was. He was also a miserable and incorrigible speller who made the same damn mistakes repeatedly for over 40 years. As his longtime copy editor (and a reasonably good speller) it was frustrating, but in time I came to view it as an endearing quirk. On the opposite end if the mnemonic spectrum, Burt Keppler’s ability to remember people’s names and associate them with faces was simply astonishing. On one 3-week visit we made to Japan together, we traveled all over the country and met well over 100 Japanese, whom he greeted individually by name without referring to name cards, company lists or notes. Everyone was impressed and flattered by the thought that someone of his stature would take the time to memorize their name, but he did it unconsciously, flawlessly, and effortlessly, surely a mark of genius. I commend anyone seeking to be entertained and informed on any subject related to photography to google the writings of Herbert (Burt) Keppler. You won’t be disappointed.
Jason Schneider as he is today, older but no wiser than he was before. Kudos to ace camera repairman Bill Moretz who broke his lens shooting the portrait.
Jason Schneider: He joined Modern Photography in October 1969 at the age of 27 as associate editor and creator of The Camera Collector, one of the first regularly appearing (monthly) columns on the then arcane pursuit of camera collecting. Shortly afterward, he became the de facto lab tech when his predecessor in that role was drafted into the army, and Schneider was extremely lucky to have Bennett Sherman, a Project & Research Engineer at Farrand Optical Co., New York, teach him how to operate our Gaertner Optical Bench and Zelox shutter speed and exposure testers, and how to shoot lines-per-millimeter resolution tests with a UASF 1951 test reticle and an array of precisely printed test targets. Bennet Sherman, an accomplished oboist, was himself a brilliant writer who turned out a definitive multi-page article in Modern in 1958 entitled, “SHUTTERS, How can you test yours? Which is the most accurate?” complete with excellent illustrations--well worth looking up. For many years Schneider held the oddly grandiloquent title of Senior Projects & Research Editor and turned our technical articles, camera and lens test reports, film and camera roundups, and feature articles including The Camera Collector and finally became Editor in-Chief in the mid ‘80s before jumping ship and switching to Pop Photo in 1987. He is an entertaining writer when he restrains his tendency to prolixity
Myron (Mike) Matzkin was born on 25 February 1924, was an NCAA champion fencer and served in the Army in Italy and Africa during WWII. An avid photographer and editor at Modern he wrote on a variety of topics from shooting movies and sports to camera and lighting techniques. Later, he started his own public relations firm representing Nikon, and eventually went to work for Canon as National Director of Public Relations. Mike’s work is always fun to read and expresses his passion for photography, He passed away on 2 March 2022 at the ripe old age of 98. By the way, if you’re interested in shooting movies or video, look up the superb movie and video columns and articles in Modern Photography written by Anthony (Tony) Galluzzo, a hands-on cinematographer and the best in the business.
The irrepressible Mike Matzkin with his beloved Canon VT Deluxe. He was a dyed-in-the-wool photo enthusiast and his engaging articles proved it.
Julia Scully, the Editor at Modern for 20 years, is unsurpassed in writing about the art photography, photographers, and the photographic scene. Her observations are often brilliantly incisive, and she writes with an understated grace few of her peers could match, Scully’s longtime friend and associate Andy Grundberg is a similarly gifted writer whose articles on photography and photographers are a must read for anyone fascinated by the fine art of photography.
Julia Scully, flashing her signature smile, wrote incisive articles on photography as an art form, the work of leading photographers, and the gallery scene.
Andy Grundberg wrote many outstanding articles for Modern on photo styles and trends, reviews of notable photographers' work, and is still a leading critic
Just what happened to cause the demise of Modern Photography and why was it folded into Popular Photography in 1989? Here’s the story directly from the horse’s mouth, in a letter to reader who simply asked:
"By 1986, Modern Photography had slowly but surely crept up on Popular Photography, nearly equaling it in circulation and bypassing it in advertising pages and revenue. From 1963 to 1987 I was Editor and Publisher and later Editorial Director of Modern Photography. During that time Leonard Goldenson, Chairman of the Board of The American Broadcasting Company, Modern’s owners, gave me a very free hand in the running of the editorial, advertising, production, and circulation of the magazine. Leonard, over 80 years old, retired in 1986, turning ABC and its magazines over to Cap Cities.
Just prior to that event, Seth Baker, President of all ABC Leisure Magazines. leaving for another job, offered me his position. I turned it down preferring my beloved Modern Photography. As you know, refusing a top position is very dangerous since the persons who do get the senior positions will inevitably try to get rid of you. and did.
At the same time, providentially, Peter Diamandis, president of CBS magazines asked me to take over Popular Photography as editorial director while John Miller, Publisher of American Photo handled the publishing position. The idea was that John and I would work together to reverse the financial problems that Popular Photography was having. We were given three years to do it. John and I worked well together and finished the assignment in a year and a half. During that 18-month period I brought from Modern many editorial and advertising personnel and quite a bit of the advertising as well.
I am not certain who made the first approach, CBS or Cap Cities, but CBS offered to buy out Modern Photography, and it was done.
Hope that does it for you,
Herbert Keppler
