Longtime Eagle Rock Photo Store Closes

“We regret to inform you that after serving our community with their photo needs for over 24 years The Photo Shoppe will be closing its doors for good!”

Scrawled on a sheet of white paper, those distressing words are all that’s left of Eagle Rock’s only store devoted entirely to photography—a sign of the times for a small business that appears to have succumbed not so much to the still-sluggish economy but to the demands of technology.

“We kind of kept trying to reinvent ourselves, but it came to a point when it became impossible to stay afloat,” said Mari Mansourian, the owner of The Photo Shoppe, which started out as a conventional photo lab nearly a quarter century ago, replete with an old-fashioned dark room, trays and enlargers.

Although the store adopted digital technology, “it eventually took its toll,” said Mansourian, explaining that not only is digital equipment frightfully expensive but that it becomes obsolete every few years, requiring fresh investments in machinery.

“The industry keeps changing,” said Mansourian. “It became more and more difficult to stay open.”

Husband Died

About two and a half years ago, Mansourian’s husband, who started the store on 2036 Colorado Blvd., died of cancer, leaving her to handle the business with the help of two or three employees. “That was part of the reason why we closed,” she said, adding: "We were part of the neighborhood for a very long time and many people are sad to see us go."

The Photo Shoppe ceased to exist at the end of January, and it’s not yet known what kind of store will replace it.

“It’s really a good location, the landlord is wonderful, and I hope something interesting comes along,” said Mansourian, who lives in the neighborhood. She added: “I love how Eagle Rock has changed—I love being part of the community.

The one downside appears to be parking. “The unfortunate thing with our block is that the parking situation is terrible,” Mansourian said, referring to the pay meters along Colorado Boulevard, roughly from to .

On weekdays, said Mansourian, most of the parking spots tend to be taken by people who patronize the nearby restaurants, which range from and to .

On Saturdays and Sundays, the spots tend to be taken by churchgoers and people flocking to Peekaboo Playland for children’s birthday parties, she said.

This story is part of Patch's nationwide series "Dispatches: The Changing American Dream." Tell us what issues and what stories in Eagle Rock go to the heart of your American Dream. Please contact editor Ajay Singh at ajay.singh@patch.com.