A Century of Making Images in Lethbridge

View of the first A.E. Cross studio at 906 3 Avenue South in Lethbridge, c. 1920–1927.
Courtesy the Galt Museum & Archives, 20061071292-130

This year, A.E. Cross Studio, the oldest continuously operated photographic studio in Lethbridge, celebrates its centennial. One hundred years ago, Alfred Ernest Cross emigrated from England, eventually settling in Lethbridge, where he established a photography business in the city. He offered studio portraits, commercial photography services, photo finishing and picture framing. Cross moved the business to various locations throughout the downtown core before settling his studio at 710 3 Avenue South in 1952 until his retirement. Cross' son Reginald A. Cross operated the studio until Ed Keeling took over the business in 1976. Since 2005, Peter Etches has run the A.E. Cross Studio.

Portrait of Reginald A. Cross with camera, 1944.
Image courtesy Galt Museum & Archives, 20061071282

Portrait of Peter Etches with camera, 2014.
Image courtesy A.E. Cross

Like Alfred Cross, Peter Etches began working in photography in England, starting in 1974. He moved to Canada with his family in 2005. An active community member, Etches has served on boards of numerous local community organizations, including the Lethbridge Rotary Club and the Downtown Lethbridge Business Revitalization Zone (BRZ). In 2011, Etches’ keen interest in preserving local history led him to donate 30 years’ worth of photographic works that A.E. Cross Studio generated to the Galt Museum & Archives. This collection of over 300,000 negative images contains mostly studio portraits of residents of Lethbridge and the surrounding area. But the collection also includes commercial photography that records the development of some significant infrastructure projects of the time, such as Centre Village Mall.

Family connections and traditions steep A.E. Cross Studio's name in memory and nostalgia. Generations of southern Alberta residents have had their wedding and graduation photos done at the studio, and the cursive logo adorns many family photo albums. Peter Etches recalls a customer saying, "Every family in Lethbridge seems to have an A.E. Cross portrait…. When a fire threatens people's homes, their children and portraits are a priority."

A. E. Cross Studio van, Lethbridge, Alberta.", [ca. 1950-1961], (CU1135131) by Cross, A. E..
Courtesy of Libraries and Cultural Resources Digital Collections, University of Calgary.

A.E. Cross business vehicle, 2021.
Image courtesy A.E. Cross

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