{envelope}:

DOMacko
828-712
Richmond Calif.

{seal}: SAN FRANCISCO. CALIF 2 JAN 4 1924
Thos. Gushul. Esq.,
P.O. Box 209,
Coleman, Alta.
Canada

Richmond, California
Jan 3, 1924
Dear Brother,
I feel sorry that I did not reply sooner but I did not have time. Holidays, this and that, plus photographs – so I did not have time for writing.
You would like me to write more extensively to You, yet You yourself know that there are rarely long letters between us. You are busy with Your things, and I am with mine, and we do not harmonize.
You wanted me to write more about California, but that is not a big thing. Don’t You find anything in newspapers about this land? We do not have winters, You know that yourself, yet it is chilly. There is no snow or frost but it is a bit rainy in the winter time and a couple of times cold winds pester. As far as business is concerned, there are all kinds of movements. California is bigger than the whole Canada, i.e., not in terms of territory but in terms of specialties and population – Canada could get lost here. Around this time, various spirits drive people from the North in, since it is warmer here; and in the spring, they all leave. Therefore, there is not much work here now.

[2]

The photography business here is good but one has to be a good artist, since there are photographers here of all ethnicities and of high artistic training. In San Francisco, there are about 200 photographers, and among them, there are persons who received gold medals for their works at the exhibitions in Paris, London, Vienna, Petrograd, and so on. Not that I want to discourage You in Your intentions – for I believe that You yourself are a significant photographer – but I am saying that I have not seen such artists in Canada. Here a photo-studio is a house of something unimaginable. You know yourself what kind of things they have in movies, so here everyone knows those things. Nearly every studio has the Moving Picture Outfit, since sometimes their work requires those things. If You would like, come here and go check out, and you will find a job, since I always read in the ads that a photographer is required for this or that. Why don’t you read the photography magazines like Camera Craft San Francisco; The Camera of Philadelphia; Photo Era. I read those and I know what is going on in the photography field.
As far as I am concerned, I will briefly describe (sorry, I keep forgetting). I am taking a photography course, “A complete Modern Photography.” I am unable to describe all the branches, since I cover all of them: from Amateur Finishing to High Grade Portraiture,

3

Moving Pictures, Commercial, Architecture, Landscape, Press Work Tele-photo, Micro-Photo, Color Photography and Portraiture. Copying, Enlarging, Coloring, Retouching, Etching, Engraving Bromoil Transfer, Photo-Chemistry, Photo-Journalism – generally speaking, I am taking the Complete Course.
I am already half through the Course, and I got 100% with honors for each exam. Therefore, my friends say that I am a prominent artist and that photography work is my best specialty. I practice in the evenings, since I work in the office during the day. (I have a good job as an accountant in a big factory.) I have two cameras: Premo special 3¼ x 4¼ double extension Optimo shutter Tessar II b lens 5½” focus and Seneca View & Home Portrait 5x7 with R.R. lens 7½” focus. I use Eastman films; for portraits, I use Port[raits] film (cut film), and for the landscapes etc. I use Orthochromatic або Panchromatic cut films, and for copying I use the Commercial Process films. I have my own Eastman Studio Scales and I make by myself all the developers and Intensifiers, Reducers, Sepia Tones, Gold Tones and combination of colors tones. I get enough of the Amateur work, so that I get paid for the expenses in all my experiments. Sometimes I get groups or even portraits for which I get paid good

4

money. Enlargements also bring big money but this work is a bit pricy for the Amateurs. When I finish this Course then I will get around the practice, or maybe I will even quit all of this. I have already learnt hundreds of tricks like adding clouds to landscapes, Vignetting, double printing but most importantly the formalities for all kinds of tricks that not everybody knows.
Do You know what “hyperfocal distance” means? I have won a $100 prize for this subject from the California Art. Association. Yes, brother, I am unable to describe everything to You but I can assure You that, when I finish this Course, I will not think twice of whether there is anyone better in the photography field than me. I currently possess such a photography knowledge that many of the so called photographers cannot even dream about.
Why don’t You send me that photograph of Vasyl with the Step-Mother that You’ve been keeping for a year already? You also promised to give me some other photographs. I have sent You many of mine photographs, and I have a lot of even better ones.
Tom, follow my advise. When you do the Amateur work and use lots of Amateur paper, try the “Haloid Rito” - it’s the best paper in America for this type of work. I am convinced of that, since I use all of their

[5]

Eastman, Artura Iris, Aegis, Carbon Black Wellington, Defender, Gevaert; Nova-Gas; Ronix, Nova-Brom Cyko Professional Plat & Noko.
If you wish, take the “Tabloid” Rytol or Jancol Developer and try out. You will see what kind of a developer that is. I do a lot of portraits with the Old Master Buff Barbon Black for Sepia Toning but for the good Black & white variety I use Old Ivory Haloid. For the portraits I plan to colorize, the Artura Iris D Royal Grade is the best. Do not share this information with anyone else. I would share more information with you but I am afraid it might get into strangers’ hands. Some time I will share lots of tricks with You personally.
As far as our union is concerned, I do not know yet. I agree to that but we need an area where we could make $50000 each of pure profit. For less than that, it would be a waste of time, since I can earn that much here, and in Canada one can earn even more, since there are no good studios over there except for several ones in big cities.
Forgive me and reply quickly, and sorry for this mix of languages, since I forget how to write in our language every day.
Wishing You all health.
Sincere Brother,
Dmyter