Olan Mills Sr. (May 9, 1904 – April 15, 1978) was an American photographer and entrepreneur known for co-founding the company Olan Mills with his wife, Mary Mills.[1]
Life and career
In 1932, Mills and his wife launched their business in Selma, Alabama. They used an old shed which they converted into a darkroom.[2] To improve business they started going door-to-door. In 1938, the couple opened its first permanent studio, located in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.
The first Olan Mills plant opened in 1940 in Springfield, Ohio.
Mills died at his home in Dallas on April 15, 1978, from head injuries sustained in a fall.[3]
References
- ^ "Olan Mills Studio Portraits History - Olan Mills Portrait Studios". Archived from the original on June 29, 2010. Retrieved July 11, 2010.
- ^ "FindArticles.com | CBSi".
- ^ United Press International (April 18, 1978). Olan Mills, Founder of Photo Studio Chain, Dies at 73. Los Angeles Times[dead link]