Donner Photographic Inc.

Our History

The photography industry is ever-changing, and Donner Photographic Inc. has persevered and continues to grow through it all. Donner Photographic Inc’s journey began with a man and his camera in 1962.

Frank Donner was born in Nevada, Missouri. As a hobby, he enjoyed taking scenic photography on his personal camera. In 1962 Frank started photographing for a company in St. Louis, Missouri. Picture this: Photography was black and white, interstates did not exist, and digital cameras were unheard of.

After 10 years, in 1972, Frank decided he wanted to further his career and start his own company. He was photographing in the spring and driving an oil truck in the winter to support his family. He attended a color lab school in Minneapolis in 1975. One year later, in 1976, he began operating the lab from his house in Franklin, CT. Many years of passion and hard work led the company to grow into its current home office building in Norwich, CT.

The business would not be where it is today without the help of John W Weihl. John worked for Frank not only on weekends, but on vacations from his other place of employment. Frank had admired John’s talent and gained a lot of faith and trust in him. It was in 1985 that he became co-owner of Donner Photographic Inc.

There are many dedicated employees that have been with Donner Photographic Inc. since the very beginning. Our hard working employees built unique systems specifically made for the company and worked hard to achieve quality and customer satisfaction. We all believe in finding innovative solutions to keep up with the challenges and changes in the photography industry, such as the massive shift into digital in 2006. Frank believes the company is “outdoing itself and keeping up with the changing times” and states that “you can’t stop reinventing yourself”

Today Donner Photographic Inc. services not only Connecticut, but New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Alabama, and Florida. The company has expanded into both dance and elementary photography, videography, yearbooks, and more.

Image of Frank Donner, 1964

 

 

 

Creating lasting memories since 1972.