Up until 2009, Barrett & Coe were using the same studio as Albert Edward Coe to photograph the Citizens of Norwich in 1863. It was the oldest purpose-built studio in the world. Andrew Coe is the great grandson of Albert Edward Coe (pictured left).
“There is a strong photographic tradition in Norwich and as early as 1845 local amateurs were practising the art of calotype photography. Following a visit by W H Fox-Talbot to the Norwich Science Club in 1854, the Norwich Photographic Society – the fourth oldest association of its type in the world – was formed.
J R Sawyer was a member of the Norwich Science Club and his Ophthalmic Company, Sawyer and Bird, featured in Roger’s Directory of 1859 as being one of 10 “Photographic Artists” in Norwich. By 1865, Kelly’s Directory of Norfolk listed 18 photographers in the city. It was to this well-established company of Opticians, specialising in photographic cabinet-size portraits that Albert Edward Coe, aged 19, took up the position of Manager in 1863 at their premises in London Street (pictured below, right) and Castle Meadow.
In 1883, Albert Coe took over the premises of his former employers and set up as an Optician – A E Coe and Sons Limited – qualifying in 1889. On June 22nd in 1897 he took the first ever aeriel photograph of the building of the new Norwich railway station from a hot air balloon moored to Norwich Castle.
The Coe Company prospered and in addition to the traditional portraiture side of the business, a thriving commercial department was established under the guidance of H Frederick Low, the renowned aerial photographer of the Norfolk and Norwich Aero Club who joined the business at the outbreak of the Second World War.
Albert Coe died on the 3 August 1928, aged 84 years. Having spent the morning in his photographic shop, as usual, he went for a motorcar ride in the afternoon and was taken ill. He died that night at “Beanavie”, his home in Unthank Road, Norwich, leaving a widow, two sons, a daughter and a photographic tradition which is a legacy which lives on to this day.”
More recently the company was one of the first for professional colour laboratories, started in 1952, were the first outside of London to do weddings in colour in 1970. Also in the 1970’s we created the largest advertising photographic studio (pictured left) in East Anglia, undertaking commissions from clients including Lotus cars, Toblerone, Bally Shoes, Norwich Union (Aviva), Reckitt & Coleman, Rowntree Mackintosh and many more.
During the 1980s started the first one-hour mini lab processing chain in the UK (all with portrait and wedding studios attached) with 37 locations all around the UK. These were eventually sold to Kodak Express and Snappy Snaps.
The wedding and portrait franchise started in 1995 and in order to fulfill demand the training courses were started in 2000. Since then we have trained more than 400 people with no previous photography experience, many of whom now earn all or a substantial part of their income from photography.
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