Popular photography studio shutting down

Do you remember your first Olan Mills photo session? Chances are mom took you there for your confirmation, graduation or 10th birthday photo.

But the familiar name to newlyweds, graduates and grandparents for 75 years is leaving the Cincinnati area.

Cincinnati Market Closing, Details Sketchy

Olan Mills is closing the last of its stores in Cincinnati this week.

A telephone representative at the Harrison Avenue photo studio told 9 On Your Side that all stores in this market are shutting down. 

We have been unable to reach Olan Mills headquarters in Tennessee.  The company website is still running, but no one is responding to calls or the "contact us" link.

Other Stores a Question

Meanwhile, an Olan Mills studio in Louisville, Ky., says it is closing this Thursday and tells us photos will mailed out to remaining clients.

A Columbus, Ohio, store is not answering its telephone.

Have any photos at Olan Mills?  You may want to call or stop by the store as soon as possible. We will post more information as we learn it.

What Happened to an Icon

Olan Mills was a fixture of American life since the 1930s, but digital photography and social media took a toll.

The company was sold last year and the new owners shut down its main Chattanooga, Tenn., photo processing lab.

In recent years, it has existed as the portrait lab in Kmart and Meijer stores, but even those labs have been closing in recent years, a victim of changing photography tastes.    

If you have any Olan Mills photo memories from the '70's or '80s, please post them below.

As always, don't waste your money.
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