A ninety-four old editorial from my somewhat extensive library covering the development of photojournalism that was written by Pathé employee Mary Edith Butler praising whom she termed “the Cinderella Man of the motion picture industry” for Pathé News’ decennial celebration way back in 1920. Despite the technological changes the march of time has brought, it still is somewhat true…

The cameraman must be a gentleman and a diplomat. He must be able to meet celebrities on their own ground, to conciliate the powers that be, and to handle a mob. He is the patient, long-suffering one who waits around patiently for “stunts” to be “pulled of”; who contends with stupid officials and asinine bystanders who are determined to “show off” before the camera.

He is the man who overcomes national, racial and religious prejudices – who photographs the Chinese funeral and the Mohammedan wedding. He must have a news sense as well developed as that of the best star reporter, and, like the reporter, he must “go and get it,” regardless of obstacles. Only, instead of carrying notebook and pencil, the cameraman carries his heavy equipment, and his route covers miles, or continents, as the reporter covers blocks.

The news cameraman lives the life that your adventure serial tells about. He does the “stunts” that are termed impossible. He must combine brain and brawn with spirit – that spirit which runs to meet danger and adventure. He is the man who rides the flood, who swings onto the tail of the hurricane and cyclone, who trudges head-down in the teeth of the blizzard, who dodges the avalanche, who braves the forest fire, who races with the runaway train, who loops the loop in an airplane, who treads the heels of calamity and disaster long before danger is past. Many of him were killed in the war, and he is still on the job.

He is the effaces, self-effacing one of a spot-light family. Of this great brood, he alone seems to remain unknown, unloved, unhonored and unsung. Perhaps he is so busy doing things, or so tired when he has done them, that he doesn’t give a darn whether the public he serves ever hears of him or not!”

(as a footnote to this post and a long shot in the dark. Is there anyone out there who remembers a Ben Leake who worked at WPVI up until October 7, 1972 when he was killed in a helicopter crash while en-route to shoot an auto race. Only thing I’ve found about him is a few newspaper articles about the crash and a short mention of the same subject in an old issue of News Photographer magazine.)