Howard Jarvis’ “Wagon wheel”

The Warren Camera Club will present “A Photographic Tribute to Howard Jarvis” throughout June at the Warren Public Library’s Wetmore Gallery.

This show will open on Monday, June 4, and close on Friday, June 29.

There will be 50 Jarvis photographs on display during library hours. On the evening of June 4, a reception will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Both of Howard’s daughters, Ann Rossman and Lin Cylenica, will be in attendance. Light refreshments will be served.

Howard “Howie” Jarvis

Howie was a curious man. He was deeply interested in the world and everything around him. He spent a lot of time learning how to effectively use his camera, and create special effects, so that his photography subjects could be explored and revealed -often in a “new” way.

And like Will Rogers, Howie never met a stranger. He was comfortable talking to folks – and folks were comfortable around him — so that he routinely was able to take that most elusive picture: a candid portrait of strangers. He always asked permission, and not surprising, most people said, yeah, sure.

Howard Wesley Jarvis was born in Irvona, Pa. on January 14, 1929, and grew up in North Warren. After graduation from WAHS, he served in the US Navy. Returning to Warren, he married his great love and best friend, Beattie Hormell, on April 24, 1950. Together they raised three children (Linda, Ann, and Todd) and enjoyed the pleasure of seven grandchildren. He was a local entrepreneur, and owned Jarvis Cleaners, Cottage Cleaning Center, and the Drapery Den. Howie felt his life was happy and full with the things he cherished most: his family, his faith, his photography, and the opportunity to travel the world (all 50 states, 9 Canadian provinces, and 30 countries) with Bea.

Howie found a way to combine business with his passion for photography, creating the Picture Place as a part-time retirement venture that marketed his photographs and provided matting and framing services. He was proud that his artistry was seen throughout Warren County and beyond, and felt blessed to be able to capture the beauty of Earth as a photographer.

Howie was a member of the Warren Camera Club for decades. He was well-known within the Club for the beauty and sophistication of his photographs, and richly deserved many accolades for the mastery of photography. He was willing to try many things, and didn’t care if it didn’t work as planned – part of the fun was the idea itself. It is worth pondering that Howie did all his photographic work before the digital age, often using slides. In those days, one literally had no idea if a photograph “came out” until the box of slides arrived in the mailbox weeks later!

Members of the Warren Camera Club remember Howie’s passion for mentoring new photographers, and sharing as many tips and suggestions as they could absorb. He wanted others to love photography as much as he did, and to feel emboldened to explore special techniques to make something “unique” happen. He had many quips and sayings. One favorite is, “If you arrive at a spot ready to take a special picture – say, the Eiffel Tower – and the light is all wrong, don’t despair. Simply turn around and make a picture of wherever the light is shining”.

Howie Jarvis passed away on August 29, 2017. He left with us a world of wonder, magic and memories.