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The NHS Meeting at Rotterdam, CON 7, March 2000 This was my first presence at a NHS meeting and I couldn't have been more lucky! I'll spare you the entire list of adjectives like: terrific, awesome, exceptional, unforgettable, etc. I truly don't know how the previous meetings were, what I surely know is that I've never attended a more well organized, warm, friendly and interesting meeting of a Photographic Historical Society. Let's start from the weather... well... that was interesting, too! We got the classic, "four seasons in a day", treatment. Beautiful sunshine, intermixed with pouring rain, and wind to match, nice snowfalls during the Convention day, too. See the pics... Just a short mentioning of the Hotel, it was nice, comfortable and the staff very friendly. Food too was good but, as everybody knows, food in the Netherlands (and in its neighbour country, Belgium ) is always excellent. Participants started to gather on Thursday the 2nd , although early birds as myself, Alan Brody and few others were there already on Wenesday. Thursday evening all were invited by Hans Ploegmakers to the head offices of his photographic retail stores, Foto Talens. Hans, who's also Chairman of the Dutch Camera Collectors Club, was backed by Peter Lownds and Hans Braakhuis ( Editor of the Nikon Catalogus ). What can I say, I've promised to be tight on adjectives... the welcoming was exceptional, the attendance charming, food (expressly prepared by Hans family and some friends ) was outstanding! Peter Lownds exhibited three unbelievable cutaways: a masterpiece split Nikon F and a couple of completely working sectioned F2 and F5 models, battery powered, every part of them perfecly working: automatic diaphragm, film advance, etc. I hope that all the relevant pics attached are sharp enough. The following day we all went to see a magnificent Leica and Nikon collection in Belgium. I took several pics but, unfortunately, the reflections of the glass cabinets, where the cameras were shown, are difficult to overcome. The Belgian collector's generosity, in moving all that six million dollars of stuff from its vault location, to his offices, just as a grand courtesy to the NHS, almost goes beyond any thanks. Believe me, this sight alone was worth the trip. The rest of the day was dedicated to a visit of the AGFA factory near Antwerpen and to the town's Photographic Museum. The evening saw all the guests performing the customary conventions sport: showing their latest acquisitions, followed by raised eyebrows, frowns, now and then few tinges of jalousy... Saturday, the Convention day, everything went on smoothly , thanks to the efforts of Peter Lownds, Hans and all the many others that helped, and of which I do not recall the names, also because the secondary sport of many, at conventions, is to leave home their business cards. That was my first Tony Hurst slide show, and I hereby guarantee that I had never seen anything comparable in all my (long) life. Amazing!! All speakers , Robert Rotoloni first , did a wonderful show. There was Tony's second slide projection, in the afternoon, and again everybody was left speechless. The Sunday's Camera Show in Houten was interesting and crowded, large and crowded, hot and crowded... well, thanks to the wonderful hospitality of Hans Ploegmakers I managed to sell two SPs ( chrome ) and to buy two Hasselblads and a beautiful black RF 13.5cm viewfinder. My friend Mario Muraro, of Maranello, Modena ( does this location ring a bell?) and myself are sincerely grateful to Robert Rotoloni and to all the other members, for the wonderful time we spent there, and for the most hearty hospitality we could ever have dreamed. Luigi Cane, Milano , Italy.
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