It is important to note that the Gibsons are Scillonians of some 300 years standing originating from St Martins. Whilst there have been five generations of photographers the commitment to and the love for Scilly stretches back much much further. Whilst over the years like many in Scilly the family has needed to commute to Penzance and run the business there in order to survive, whenever possible they have always returned to Scilly.
John Gibson acquired his first camera whilst abroad. He had to go to sea from a young age to supplement the income from a small shop on St Mary’s run by his widowed mother. Making ends meet on St Mary’s was a constant struggle and he learned to use the camera and set up a photography studio in Penzance. By his mid thirties he was making a sufficiently good living to be able to give up going to sea.
Around 1866 he returned to St Mary’s with his family and he was assisted in his photography by his sons Alexander and Herbert in the studio shed in the back garden of their home in Church Street.
Picture caption: John Gibson (right) with his son Alexander at Pipers Hole.