Strawbridge Studios was founded in 1923 by Mr. J.E. Strawbridge in Durham, NC. Now in our fourth generation, President, Ken Strawbridge, and CEO, Harold K. Strawbridge still continue to offer the best value received in the school picture industry.

Around the year 1920, Mr. Robert E. Larramy, Superintendent of the Easton Pennsylvania City Schools, conceived the idea of having a picture attached to each student's accumulative record.

This would enable him to give accurate recommendations to businesses requesting information on job applicants who were his former students. He negotiated with a friend, Mr. Thomas Carroll Willson. Since there were no funds for this project, Mr. Willson proposed he would give a picture of each student to the school, provided the school would allow him to sell pictures to the students to recover his cost. Mr. Willson used 35mm film and made seven contact prints for each student. One contact he gave to the school, the other six he offered for sale to the students at 10 cents each, or all six for 50 cents. Mr. Willson, who was somewhat of an inventor, had formed the Willson Magazine Camera Company in Washington four years before moving to Philadelphia in 1902. Mr. Willson started making a spool of film that could be inserted into, and removed from, camera bodies in broad daylight. He sold these to several men, one of which was Mr. S. Percy Barksdale of Philadelphia.

When Mr. J.E. Strawbridge's father passed away, he was forced to quit school in the third grade to help support the family. He was a share-cropper on a Martin County, NC farm. During Christmas of 1923, Mr. Barksdale, in business for himself, came to see his sister who lived on the farm next to where J.E. Strawbridge worked. He offered the young Strawbridge a job which he readily accepted. J.E. Strawbridge went to work in Pennsylvania and New York State. During 1926-1927, he opened up the territories of Tennessee, Arkansas and Texas. In 1930 he returned to his home state of North Carolina and started Strawbridge Finishing Service which, in 1954, became Strawbridge Studios, Inc. On August 15, 1951, the Professional School Photographers of America (PSPA) had its organizational meeting; Mr. J.E. Strawbridge was a charter member.

My how times have changed!

Strawbridge Studios, Inc. has remained located in Durham, North Carolina since its beginning 84 years ago. There have been many changes and expansions along the way. We have expanded from J.E. Strawbridge's basement to a state of the art, 41,000 square foot Photographic and Printing facility, located at 3616 Hillsborough Rd, Durham, North Carolina.

We are proud to be one of the founding members of the Professional School Photographers Association, a division of the Photo Marketing Association (PMAI). The PSPA is dedicated to the principles of improving the quality and ethical standards of school photography.

FUTURE OF STRAWBRIDGE STUDIOS, INC.

Under the leadership of Mr. Ken Strawbridge, President, Strawbridge Studios became 100 % digital in August 2006.

With the implementation of digital photography, Strawbridge Studios will still provide the best value in the school picture industry. Our photographers, armed with the latest cameras, laptops, and technology, will be able to provide an even better picture experience. Viewing images onsite will insure that our photographers capture an image of your child sure to be a treasured keepsake for years to come.

In March of 2007, Mr. Ken Strawbridge became President of the Photo Marketing Association International (PMAI). PMA is a worldwide organization consisting of 25,000 members and representing 22 countries.