A gentleman by the name of John Schriver started the studio back in the late 1890’s. (I still have some of his negatives that were shot on glass plates in contrast to our plastic negatives of today.) Schriver had the studio until New Year’s Day of 1943 when he passed away from a heart attack during a photo shoot of a child (could you imagine being the mother of that child?)
During that time, two
sisters worked for Mr. From that point on, they took over the studio and renamed it Powell Studio. They had the studio from 1943 until the early 1960’s, when their darkroom technician Harry Mokis took it over. During that period Powell Studio had photographed many prominent political officials and all of the Bishops in the Scranton Dioceses. In 1983, a woman by the name of Ann Boyer bought the studio from the Mokis’. I started my career at Powell Studio in 1983, and in 1997 had the opportunity to buy this studio from Mrs. So now, I own one of the oldest portrait studios in the country today. When a girl comes in for her bridal portrait, chances are that we photographed her mother and her grandmother. We are a full service studio. Our studio portraits include children, engagement, bridal, anniversary, family, high school seniors, communion, publicity, and bo***ir. In the studio, 90% our shooting is in B&W, and we offer the most fabulous Tinted Portraits. Our Location photography includes schools, sports, Weddings, Reunions, Commercial, and Family Portraits in the home. Our finishes can be done in color, B&W, Sepia, and B&W Tint. I was fortunate to be able to photograph a former Pennsylvania Governor in the 1990’s. Also, in 2008 and 2020 I photographed Vice President, Joe Biden. In 2006, I was the recipient of “The Top 25 Business Women in Northeastern Pennsylvania”.
-Gigi Holmes, owner
