Dollarhide Elected Life Member

Official photographer tallies 33 Years Service to IJA

(During the IJA Annual Business Meeting, Official Photographer Roger V. Dollarhide was voted an Honorary LIfe Member of the IJA The nominating speech below gives ample testimony to the deservedness of the honor.)

 

IN 1956 HE JOINED THE IJA AS AN aspiring young high school juggler with quite a bit of talent. Dollarhide could bounce 7 balls off the floor, juggle 8 golf balls, 8 rings and 6 sticks, as well as doing 5 in one hand. His trademark trick was the rarely-if-ever seen feat of a 6 ball shower.

 

He has been an IJA official for a total of 33 man-years. The list of offices he has held includes president, convention chair­man three times, Newsletter editor for 3 years and official photographer for 16. It was Roger Dollarhide who, on incredibly short notice, organized an afternoon picnic convention in 1968 after the scheduled event had been canceled. It was the first convention he attended, but he's been to 15 straight since then.

 

Dollarhide originated the competitions at IJA conventions in 1969, and was competitions director for a decade.

 

His devotion to the art of juggling is demonstrated in his three decades of photographing performers. He has traveled wherever possible, including Russia, to seek out top performers and record their acts on film.

 

ROGER DOLLARHIDE'S 1983 PHOTO LIST

 

1 ,500 pictures is a lot of film - 41 rolls of black and white and 5 rolls of color

slides.

 

I kept busy with 3 cameras and a half-dozen lenses. It was tough selecting the few photos to go into the magazine. There are lots more than those to choose from, so if you would like some mementos of the convention, send me a letter and a check or money order and I'm sure I can please just about everyone with a picture or two.

 

I took a lot of pix at the championships (except the numbers events, where photography was prohibited) ­ several shots of each and every competitor. I did get some of the 5 club guys warming up, though. I also covered the joggling and unicycle races, and have color shots of the joggling. At the awards presentations, I took posed shots of the winners, except for the unicycle races because I had to leave to cover the Benefit Show.

 

And, of course, I have the big group photo, plus the Guinness World Record toss-up. I have the Guinness toss-up in color also. I shot many pix at the Lonie Brunn workshop, as well as the club swinging, diabolo, and club passing workshops. The swinging and diabolo workshops are also in color. I did not take any photos at the Public Show or the cocktail party.

 

I took a number of groups of people indoors and out - either juggling or visiting or just posing. You know who you are because I took down your names. I also got several more organized group photos, such as the Atlanta, Baltimore and Boulder affiliates, the No Elephant Circus, the competitions judges and the new officers.

 

A number of individual jugglers who caught my eye are also immortalized on film doing their thing against a plain background so as to show off their particular skills. They include: Greg Moss, 5 clubs; Matt Love, ball spinning; Jess Monroe, ball spinning and hat manipulation; John Reutershan 5 ball bounce; Larry Merlo, 5 clubs; Dennis Manhews, 3 scarves on stilts; Shelly Harris, 5 balls; Ray Solimeno, hoop on parasol; Dan Bennet, 9 balls; Bennet and Love together doing 8 balls; Kit Summers, 4 tennis rackets; Mark McMahon, 3 large tooth brushes (also in color); Egbert Sayers, 3 clubs; John Gunser with his cross-country bike; Robert 'The Jolly Lawyer' with a chicken, axe and paint roller (also in color); Claude Shan­non with his' 12 Clowns A' Juggling'; Demetrius Alcarese, 7 balls; and Karen Stott, 4 balls.

 

Photo prices are: Black and white - 3x5 and 5x7 for $3.50; 8x 10 for $5. Color ­3x5 for $2.50; 5x7 for $4; 8xlO for $8. Add $1.50 per order for mailing. If you are requesting information only, enclose a stamped, self­addressed envelope. Full payment must accompany orders.

 

Send to; Roger Dollarhide, Hartford, CT.