THE Citizen newspaper dated August 14 last year, contained an article about the former photographic premises in Church Street, which has recently been renovated.

I have in my possession a small sepia postcard photograph which was taken over 100 years ago probably at these premises by their original owner and designer John Monk.

The reverse of the photo shows John Monk, artist and photographer of 81, Fishergate and Imperial Studios, Church Street.

The photo shows my late mother's grandparents with these adolescents, presumably their offspring, and from their apparent ages I had estimated the date of the photograph to be around 1878.

However, a Preston Directory of 1880 shows that for 15 years prior to 1880 the John Monk photographic Studios were on the opposite side of Church Street.

My revised estimate is therefore 1880, and it would seem that my late mother's grandparents were among the earliest customers of the Imperial Studios.

A directory of 1866 shows the previous premises as Monk and Lamb, photographers, Albion Yard, Church Street.

I wonder if any of your readers still have photos from the Albion Yard studios?

Gerard Yates,

Frenchwood Avenue,

Preston.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.