Quesnel’s history has many notable photographers, however, one photography studio, which began in West Quesnel in the early 1950s, enjoyed continuous operation until recently when Marliss and Gordon Perry closed their photography and framing business Perry’s Picture Place.
Marty Martindale moved his family to Quesnel in 1950.
His son Ted remembers the family brought all their possessions on the train and then carried it on a sleigh to their new home on Early Street in West Quesnel.
“Dad got a job with Fraser Food Mart, he was a jack of all trades,” Ted said.
“When he started the photography studio, Denny Carr winched the water from a well for the developing in the studio.
“Dad did all types of photography from accidents to weddings.”
After about a year, the family moved to Barlow Avenue where they enjoyed all the modern conveniences and Marty built a commercial building in front of their home for the business.
“Mum coloured the plates and processed photos,” Ted said.
“But she preferred to deal with women’s fashions and opened Pearl’s Fashions while dad ran Marty’s Photo Studio.”
Quesnel was a cowboy town and Ted told of the downtown bars, dirt streets and how, as children, they had to make their own fun.
One memory was of taking fiddle lessons from Mr. Robertson.
“Dad was an old time fiddler,” he said.
However, his children didn’t take lessons for long.
Fred Baxter ran a Homelite Chain Saw business next to the studio and the Toronto Dominion Bank was in its current location.
“The manager Al Cockerall, lived in the bank and I remember Lorne and I playing ping pong in the basement of the bank.
The Nugget Cafe was across the street and a Chinese laundry was next to the bank.
Ted was an entrepreneur from an early age, selling lemonade on the street, setting pins at the local bowling alley and even delivering the Cariboo Observer in 1958, but switched to delivering the Vancouver Sun as it paid better.
Marty sold the photography business to Albert Mulder who carried on the photography business as well as adding framing and a hobby shop.
Meanwhile Gordon Perry, as a teenager and then after he married Marliss, took up photography but mainly to record family activities.
He bought a 35 mm rangfinder camera from Albert Mulder and shot slides of family, holidays and events.
Over the years, Gordon and Albert became friends.
In 1974, Marliss and Gordon developed a small mail order rubber stamp business.
“Typesetting was done on a linotype which was used at one time by the Cariboo Observer and now is in the Quesnel museum,” he said.
Gordon began his working career at 17, at the Western Plywood plant and in the early 1970s moved over to the city managing the city swimming pool in LeBourdais Park and the arena.
Opportunity and preparedness came together in 1981 when Albert Mulder told Gordon he was thinking of closing.
“We took over the photofinishing and the framing but not the hobby shop,” Gordon said.
“Albert has scaled back his portrait business and recommended I buy a passport camera.”
For Marliss it was the framing that appealed to her, although minimal when they took over the business she could see that aspect growing in the coming years.
For Gordon is was the photography, that was the moment he became a professional.
Each advanced their skills by attending workshops. Gordon joined the Professional Photographers of Canada, Marliss joined the Professional Picture Framing Association.
“Framers and photographers don’t require formal training, your reputation is built on skill, talent and service,” Marliss said.
When Albert suggested they begin selling cameras, Gordon brought in Yashica SLRs.
“I decided to learn that technology,” Gordon said.
“One photo I took of the water wheel, Marliss framed it and someone bought it.
One of the cameras which came with the business was a medium format portrait camera and when asked to do a young girl’s portrait, Gordon said he’d try.
“I didn’t make any guarantees,” he said with a smile.
“I took the pictures in the park and discovered depth of field, I was hooked and learned everything I could.”
With the business closed for good, Gordon and Marliss are enjoying time at home, however, their home is now filled with what remains of their business.
“When we took over the business we had Mulder’s negatives and returned as many as we could to his customers, now we have all our negatives, contact sheets, proofs and prints and more recently digital files,” Marliss said.
Gordon added there’s a sense of historical responsibility with these photographic records.
“We’ve barely scratched the surface of the stuff from the store,” he said.
“We’re making available for purchase our negatives and digital files to our customers.”
Although Marliss is happy to be finished with the framing side of the business, Gordon plans to continue with a freelance commercial photography and photo art business.
“I now have more time to explore the countryside,” he said.
“I didn’t like being confined to the store.”
When asked what he’ll miss most about the store, Gordon thought for a moment.
“I’ll miss having somewhere to hang the pictures.”
Both Marliss and Gordon will miss their customers and were quick to express their appreciation for years of loyalty to the business.
“I miss being downtown, but at this time of year, it’s nice to be home,” Marliss added.