Circle 6 Housekeeping: Mirfield Award 1969

As you will gather from the above photographs,Digital photography is not my thing but that is what this Blog is all about after all! The object above is a Leica lens cap from the Mirfield Awards made in 1969 and engraved to Tom March F.R.P.S. The engraving has obviously been done prior to the addition of a coat of gloss black spray paint so does not really stand out too well. I am wondering if this lens cap, of about 3 inch diameter, came from a projector in which case it would have probably been gray in its original form. However the Leica ruby velvet liner is present.

Tom March was a well known motor cycling and car racing photographer at that time.  His work has been preserved by a commercial agency and used in a number of recent books.Given the Circle 6 connection I had to buy this when it came up in a small ad. in the  Leica Society magazine.And what, do I hear you ask,is a Mirfield Award?  These are still given by what is now The Leica Society for the winner of a points based competition which runs in most of the Circles of print and slide makers. This round of Awards was inherited from the merger of Leica Historical with Postal Portfolios a few years ago.Sadly the one time token of a lens cap is now financially impossible and so todays Mirfield is only a certificate-and some Glory!

I own one original March print of a  racing car but his winning prints, framed,have sold well on Auction Sites.

And who was Mr Mirfield? He was a past Secretary of the Society who set up a contest for Members that ran all year rather than being judged at the Annual Meetings,Most of the Trophys are named for the person who donated them but a 'Mirfield' is still a worthwhile achievement.

Those of you who are fortunate to have a copy of the last Morgan & Morgan Leica Manual of 1973
will find some work by Tom on page 245 from the Leica-Archiv Wetzlar.