Studio Laporte
Sydney Laporte | Dr. Jean-Baptiste Laporte and his family |
Photographer Sidney Laporte, son of Dr. Jean-Baptiste Laporte, founded Le Studio Laporte in 1905 in Edmundston, New Brunswick. In the early years, he also sold sheet music, musical instruments and supplies. The studio quickly grew to be a very prominent enterprise, attracting clients from Maine, Quebec and of course, New Brunswick.
Larry Coburn | Charlotte Coburn | Larry Coburn (with camera) |
Sidney’s grandniece, Charlotte Landry got her training in photography in Montreal. After returning to Edmundston in the early 40s, she met and married Lawrence B. Coburn of Granby, Quebec. Together, they took over the operation of the photography studio and purchased it in 1952. A background in sales enabled Larry and Charlotte to expand the retail side of the business. Soon they became the leader in camera sales for the area culminating in the opening of a second retail outlet named L’Image, located in Carrefour Assomption, in the fall of 1979. A few years later, Le Studio Laporte stopped its retail activities, and concentrated on photography. L’Image was eventually sold to EconoColour Labs from Moncton.
Louise Jessop | Michael Jessop |
In February of 1977, Edmundston native Michael Jessop, then living in Saint John, was offered a position at the studio. Shortly afterwards he met Louise Coburn, Larry and Charlotte’s daughter, and began a partnership with her that still exists today. Upon Larry’s retirement in 1991, Michael and Louise purchased the business.
From its beginning until 1905, the studio was located at 19 Hill Street, but in 1995, Michael and Louise moved the studio to their home at 73 Fraser Avenue.
In 2002, Michael and Louise closed the studio on Fraser Avenue and moved to Montreal where they opened the photography studio called Michael et Louise, Excellence en photographie in The Bay, a department store on St. Catherine Street. In 2005, they moved again and opened the studio named Heirloom Portraits by Michael and Louise in The Bay in Halifax, N.S.
When the studio in Edmundston closed in 2002, the photographic files of Le Studio Laporte were sold to Marc Boucher (son of Jean-Pierre Boucher, former owner of Le Madawaska) who had started Studio Digiphoto in Edmundston. A few years later the files became the property of the Société historique du Madawaska.
Three articles that were part of a series in the newspaper Le Madawaska entitled “Connaissons mieux nos gens d’affaires” (Know our Business People Better) have been digitized and are included in PDF form. They are based on interviews conducted with members of the Laporte family. They were published in the newspaper on the following dates: September 1, 1960 (Mr. Sidney Laporte); September 29, 1960 (Mr. and Mrs. Larry Coburn); November 3, 1960 (Mrs. Jeanne Landry).
Mr. Sidney Laporte
Mr. and Mrs. Larry Coburn
Mrs. Jeanne Landry
Listed below are the names of the owners and other people who have worked at Le Studio Laporte during its ninety-seven year history (there are surely many more people than those listed).
1905 | Sidney Laporte | Owner |
William Dubé | Photographer (left to open Le Studio William in Edmundston) | |
Albert Pelletier | Photographer (left to work for Le Studio William) | |
Albénie Morneault | Photographer (left to work for Canada Post) | |
Paule ??? | Photographer (a native of France) | |
1952 | Lawrence and Charlotte Coburn | Co-owners |
Roland Picard | Photographer (left to open Studio Roland in Edmundston, N.B.) | |
Théophile Cormier | Photographer (left to open his own business) | |
Guy Lebel | Photographer (left to open Guy Lebel Photographe in Saint-Basile, N.B.) | |
Michael Jessop | Photographer | |
Claude Sormany | Photographer (left to open Studio Sormany in Shediac, N.B.) | |
Michel Carrier | Photographer (left to open Studio Michel Carrier in Edmundston, N.B.) | |
Louise Coburn | Management/administration/photographer’s assistant | |
Joan Fyfe-Murphy | Clerical/sales | |
Linda McDonald | Clerical/sales | |
Nicole Roy-Aubé | Clerical/sales | |
Lise Robinson | Clerical/sales | |
Claudine Landry | Clerical/sales | |
Claude Theriault | Clerical/sales | |
Jan Coburn | Clerical | |
Linda Bellefleur | Clerical | |
1991 | Michael and Louise Jessop | Co-owners |
Morel Morneault | Clerical | |
Therese Dion | Clerical | |
Suzanne Sullivan | Clerical | |
Ghislaine Desjardins | Clerical | |
2002 | Le Studio Laporte closed. |
Note :
With the passing of Mrs. Charlotte Coburn in September of 2008, a lot of information concerning the history of Studio Laporte is difficult to verify. Most of the information given on this page is based on Michael and Louise Jessop’s best recollection of the facts. Other information was obtained from Jan Coburn, Roland Picard, Michel Carrier,and Guy Lebel.