Hobby Picture Exhibition Has Many Familiar Faces
Well-known Toronto people can be seen in a small but interesting exhibition of camera portraits in the Avon
House Galleries at Simpson's all this week. The photographer is Richard Morawetz, from Prague, Czechoslovakia,
who takes pictures of his friends and their children "because when a man gets to a certain age he must
have a hobby to prevent him getting old too quickly."
Best things in the exhibition are what Mr. Morawetz calls "the little
mischiefs," the pictures of children. He specializes in this kind of photography.
One of the most endearing studies is a Chinese infant with his fingers in his mouth. "His mother
was upset about that, but I told her to let him be natural because he would make a better picture that way,"
Mr. Morawetz explained. "I do not retouch the portraits at all. I left in the scar on one boy's knee,
and I left untidy the hair of another boy - ruffled hair looks more like a boy, no?"
There are three portraits of Penny Stride, an adorable tot with a mop of golden curls; Nick Ignatiew struggling
with a sock; Tony Graham, grandson of Erickson Brown; Harrison Gilmour's son, David; Rhoderick Wessels,
grandson of C. L. Burton, playing ball; three pictures of Norman Flett, son of a surgeon and grandson of
Norman Sommerville, former president of the Canadian Red Cross Society; Eve and "Lally" Schmolka,
a brother and sister team, both cuddling dolls; Ina Hasky, with a graceful grouping of flowers; Sonia Cavell
and pet dog; Susan Wilks, with a fur muff; and a schoolgirl, Isabel Dale.
Then there is an artistic selection - Boris Hambourg of the Hambourg Conservatory; the Czech violinist,
Charlie Dobias, in national dress; Albert Guerrero, the pianist; and two studies of his daughter Melisande,
one showing her at the easel.
Mrs. Richard Morawetz appears in her husband's exhibition; so does Frank Morawetz, nephew of the
photographer, and his wife. Outstanding among the portraits of adults are those of Mrs. M. Weinman,
in a big veiled hat; C. L. Burton; A. G. Bennett; Charles Easson of Clarkson, and the late Leopold Sachs.
"I do not like taking pictures of the ladies," confessed Mr. Morawetz with a rueful smile.
"They do not like to be portrayed as they really are, and they want so much
retouching to be done."
Once a manufacturer of burlap in Europe, Mr. Morawetz fled from Czechoslovakia in 1939, and now heads a
Toronto firm which makes overalls. What happened to his business in Czechoslovakia, he does not like to think.
Similarly, he does not care to plan any return to his homeland. "First there is a war to
win, and then we shall see. But I
like this country and I would like to stay here," he said.
