Sandra returned to Scilly with her family in 1993 after spending 12 years on the mainland. She was fortunate enough to spend some years working alongside her father before taking over the business completely thereby continuing the family tradition, and keeping the photographic archive intact and in Scilly where it belongs.
As always in Scilly, over the years the business has evolved and changed. Digital photography has had a huge impact on photography businesses worldwide and the need to adapt and change has never been more important.
Today, Sandra’s husband Peter runs their souvenir shop in Garrison Lane, which sells gifts, books and postcards, and of course photographs. Sandra runs a wholesaling business, publishing and distributing colour postcards and books to various outlets on the islands. In recent years the islands have become a popular destination for weddings and through the summer months this is an important part of the business as well as other general photographic work.
Managing the archive of photographs that have been taken by the 5 generations of Gibsons over the past 150 years is also a huge undertaking. The need to digitize the vast number of images as well as identify, date and catalogue is a full time undertaking that will never end.
Picture caption: Sandra Gibson