Josephine Herrick Project
Formerly RTP (Rehabilitation Through Photography)

The Josephine Herrick Project is a nonprofit that enlists photographic community volunteers to educate students who have not had the opportunity to learn the communicative power of photography. Through partnerships with local organizations, JHProject’s completely free programs inspire children, teens, adults and seniors with the visual language of photography, enhancing their abilities to transform communities through artistic vision.

Pop Photo Editor’s Letter: A Photographer’s Legacy

 

 
 

Popular Photography Editor in Chief Miriam Leuchter explains the importance of giving back through photography

 

Josephine Herrick started her organization in 1941, by photographing young men going to war, and sending the photographs to their loved ones.
 
The ground-floor gallery at St. Francis College in Brooklyn Heights was buzzing one night this spring. Black-and-white photographs—portraits and close-up details of objects—lined the walls, along with heartfelt statements from the 20 photographers. The crowd included the artists’ friends and family, a famous photographer or two, scores of well-wishers, and even a service dog. I was one of two featured speakers (the other was Brendon Stanton, the photographer/founder of the popular Humans of New York street portrait site).The show, “Portraits of Courage,” was the culmination of a photography class for veterans taught at Brooklyn’s V.A. hospital. The vets had spent 10 weeks working with pro photographer Camille Tokerud and creative arts therapist Beryl Brenner to move beyond the snapshot and make images with a voice all their own. Partnering with the V.A. to create, teach, and support the program with cameras and printing was the Josephine Herrick Project.I wrote about this organization here about three years ago, before I joined its board of directors. Then it was called Rehabilitation Through Photography, a name that served it well for much of its 72 years. But we recently decided to change the name to honor its founder. Photographer Josephine Herrick started it by marshalling volunteers to take portraits of servicemen at the dawn of the World War II, and later retooled it to teach photography to wounded veterans. While extending instruction and equipment to a variety of other underserved people—including kids and adults with autism, at-risk teens, and the formerly homeless—Herrick and those directors who followed hewed to the same mission. It’s enshrined in our new tagline: “Enhancing lives through photography.”Thanks to incredibly generous donations by Canon, Fujifilm, Pentax, Sony, and other camera makers and members of the Photoimaging Manufacturers and Distributors Association (PMDA), I no longer have to repeat my request for your old cameras. We have new ones! But I urge you to think about how you might be able to help, whether as a donor or a volunteer. Visit our website at jhproject.org and follow us on social media. Order our books of photos from recent students—including the Brooklyn veterans—and from its fascinating archives on Blurb.com. Keep an eye out this fall for a show at the Leica Gallery in New York City and for the photography auction we’re putting together.

The Josephine Herrick Project, though small on funding, has a very big impact on the lives of those it touches. With your support it will flourish, grow, and keep enhancing lives through photography for decades to come.

http://www.popphoto.com/news/2013/05/editors-letter-photographers-legacy

 

Josephine Herrick Project is pleased to announce Harmon Kaplan of Secaucus, New Jersey as the grand prize winner in the “Sony NEX Digital Camera Giveaway” on Facebook

 


Harmon Kaplan Grand Prize Winner

Josephine Herrick Project (JHP) – April 29, 2013 JHP announces the grand prize winner in the “Sony NEX Digital Camera Giveaway” on Facebook.  Congratulations to Harmon Kaplan the lucky winner!

To enter, contestants had to go to Facebook and like the newly launched JHP’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/JosephineHerrickProject The contest ran from March 27, 2013 through April 10, 2013.  The results were amazing increasing mentions for JHProject Facebook page from 877 to 183,869 and adding 429 new fans!  The Sony NEX Digital Camera was a coveted prize.

Our grand prize winner, Harmon Kaplan, a talented photographer, dentist (retired), and Veteran discovered his passion for photography at age 9, inspired by his father’s photography. He currently runs a free photography group at the Secaucus Public Library, and truly enjoys sharing photography with others. Kaplan states, “most of all, photography has been my constant companion and friend for a long, long time!” This is what Josephine Herrick Project strives to bring for anyone who has not had the chance to experience just how therapeutic photography can be in every way. We are proud to give this camera away to a talented photographer who has always had an undeniable passion for photography, and will utilize his talent to help inspire others. Josephine Herrick Project sincerely thanks Sony for their generous donation, and again, congratulations to Harmon Kaplan!

 

About the Sony NEX-7

Our grand prize is more than a pocket camera, the 24.3 megapixel NEX-7 exceeds expectations.  Here’s performance that would give most DSLRs camera envy, including interchangeable lenses, a 2359K dot OLED eye-level TTL viewfinder, up to 10fps shooting, and outstanding Tri-Navi™ 3-dial manual control.  HD movies are superb with Full 1920 x 1080 resolution at 60p, 60i and 24p. For more information visit: www.sony.com

About the Josephine Herrick Project

Today, the Josephine Herrick Project, Enhancing Lives through Photography, continues to partner with Veteran Administrations as well as schools, social service agencies and like-minded nonprofits.  Following her model, volunteer photographers educate underserved populations throughout the New York City area.  Thanks to the support of the photography industry and corporate and foundation grants, JHP continues Herrick’s mission with free programs, exhibitions and publications that inspire children, teens, adults and seniors with the visual language of photography, enabling them to transform communities through their artistic vision.  Some of the current partners include: Birch Susser School for Exceptional Children, the Block Institute, Cartwheel Initiative, Creedmoor Psychiatric Center, Fresh Art, IUDU School for Students with Special Needs, Jewish Union Foundation, University Settlement House, Millennium High School, International High School, Warrior StillShots, and U.S. veterans in Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx.

Josephine Herrick Project is entirely supported by tax-deductible donations from individuals, corporations and foundations and is a registered 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization.

 

 

Josephine Herrick’s Letter to Eastman Kodak Company, 1959

(Above, WWII soldiers at a VA hospital participating in JHP’s, photography services, hand coloring their photographs from hospital beds)

The beginnings of the Josephine Herrick Project, as you know, started with Josephine Herrick’s founding of VSP, or Volunteer Service Photographers.

In 1959, Josephine wrote to Eastman Kodak to petition to hang photographs of student work at the Eastman Information Bureau in Grand Central Station. The photographs she wished to have displayed were hand oil-colored by students of VSP because they were originally shot in black and white. Many times students would paint from their hospital beds, as well as many other unconventional situations. This way, participants were able to create and keep busy while confined under less than ideal circumstances.

Today, Josephine Herrick Project, formerly VSP, follows that same philosophy of bringing equipment and material directly to the student’s environment, whether a hospital, school, community center or housing shelter.

Below is the actual letter. Click to enlarge.