Meadow Brook is an exhibition print first shown by amateur photographer Glenn N. Merry as part of the Annual Salon of the Portland, ME Camera Club in 1928. Salon stickers affixed to the verso of the mount indicated it was further displayed over a period of four years, until 1932, when The New York Camera Club showed it after he moved to New York City the same year.

Glenn Newton Merry: 1886-1977

Glenn Merry lead a fascinating life, although his involvement with amateur photography, based on secondary sources, seems to be limited to roughly 1928-1933. A member of the New York Camera Club by 1932, he was affiliated with New York University as Professor of Marketing since 1940 or before and would continue there until at least 1966, as Professor Emeritus of Marketing.

Born in Nebraska in 1886, he went on to receive his bachelors degree from Northwestern University in 1910, a graduate certificate in speech from Northwestern the following year, his masters in arts from the University of Iowa in 1915 and in 1921, his PH.D from Iowa: a Doctor of Philosophy degree for his dissertation: “Voice Inflection in Speech”: the first laboratory-based Ph.D. in Speech ever awarded. He completed his academic education by receiving an M.B.A. from Harvard University in 1925. (1.)

He would go on to become sales operating manager of the Nashua (NH) Gummed and Coated Paper Company sometime after his graduation from Harvard, living in Portland, ME by 1928, the same year his interest in amateur photography as a hobby seems to have blossomed. That year, according to the 1929 American Annual of Photography, he was Vice-President of the Portland, Maine Camera Club.

This exhibition print, Meadow Brook, was taken when he was a member of the Portland club, and was shown at Salons throughout the country. As referenced above, these included The Photographic Society of Philadelphia, The Los Angeles Camera Club, The Omaha Camera Club, The Photo Pictorialists of Milwaukee, The Camera Club of Syracuse, Oregon Camera Club, The Newark (NJ) Camera Club, Lansing (MI) Camera Club, Portage Camera Club of Akron, OH and The Camera Club of New York, which became a member of when he moved to New York City, in about 1932 or just before.

It’s unknown how long he practiced his hobby, as his professional obligations were many. In addition to his New York University position, he was first the vice-president and general manager of the Howe Coal Companies and then President of the St. George Wholesale Coal Company, a position he held until at least 1942, as indicated on his 1942 WWII draft card. (2.)

1. Earlier, beginning in 1917, Merry authored:  The Fundamentals of Public Speaking … a text book for students in public speaking; in 1920: The Principles of Speaking & in 1921: The Principles of Speech a Text-book for an Introductory Course.

2. In 1937, a Bahamian newspaper noted Merry was the manager of the New York office of The Marine Midland Trust Co. and one of its Directors. (The Royal Gazette and Colonist Daily, February 8, 1937)