Leisure activities, Victor Kugler

Victor Kugler was a keen photographer. There is a photograph showing him with a camera. According to a stamp on the back, the photograph was taken by J. Colson.^[1]

On 2 February 1943, there was an advertisement in De Telegraaf asking for a Plaubel Makina bellows camera with 135 mm chassis, placed by "Gies, Prinsengr. 263".^[2] The ad was also in the Haagsche Post around the same time. Since Kugler was director of Gies & Co. and Mr and Mrs Gies were not particularly interested in photography, it is plausible that this was a Kugler initiative.

On 15 November 1950, Kugler received an honourable mention for an entry in the 'B class' of 'Free Topics' of the magazine Focus. Dutch magazine for general and colour photography.^[3]

Kugler had a Leica IIIF, number 539310, with an Elmar 1:3.5 f=5cm lens, number 830978.^[4] This model of camera appeared on the market in 1951. ^[5] He had some additional lenses: a Leitz f/3.5 Summaron, no 780907, and a Leitz Elmar f/4, no 837287.^[6] He also owned a Hektor telephoto lens, no 825634, in a bakelite tube,^[7] and a Leica IIIF, no. 622834, with an Elmar 1:3.5 lens, no. 833611.^[8]

On 9 April 1947, the 'Hilversum Amateur Photographers Association 't Gooi'  met, with the membership balloting of Kugler and doctor F. Peters on the agenda.^[9] Both of them were accepted as members.^[10]

Kugler regularly attended members' meetings. In 1947, he signed the attendance list once; in 1948, four times. In 1949, he was listed at all eight meetings; in 1950, seven times. On 20 December 1950, his wife signed in as a guest. In 1951, Kugler signed in eight times; in 1952, five times.^[11] On 9 December that year he was absent, no doubt related to the death of his wife a few days earlier. In 1953, he attended five of six meetings; in 1954, five times. He signed the minutes of 19 October 1954 as chairman. He also stood with the board in November and December. On 8 March 1955, his second wife signed in as a guest.^[11]

For an exhibition on the 'Botanical Gardens', Kugler asked people to bring photos of flowers to the meeting or drop them off at his address.^[12]

At Easter 1955, five members of HAFV 't Gooi participated in an exhibition of Amateur photography club Flevo of Huizen, held at hotel Hamdorff in Laren. The exhibition featured a photograph by Kugler, "Untitled".^[13]

The agenda for the meeting of 27 September 1955 stated that chairman Kugler gave a farewell speech to the association in the context of his departure abroad.^[14]

To mark its 25th anniversary, the society held a major exhibition at hotel Het Hof van Holland on 24-27 September 1949. Three photographs by Kugler, titled 'Delft', 'Still Life' and 'Work location P.C. Hooft, Muiderslot', were displayed there.^[15]