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Originally opened at 18 Main Street by Keith Martin in 1946, it was bought by Dave Chase, the studio's second and last owner, in 1979 (see Dave's article at right). Dave says, "When I purchased his studio I kept the Martin name because everyone knew who Keith Martin was, while Dave Chase was a relative unknown. Now, after almost twenty years, many people new to the area ask why the Studio is named "Martin".

Dave has donated all the studio's prints and negatives to the Concord Free Public Library. To get an idea of the scope of Martin Studio's work, the library estimates the collection to contain about 200,000 negatives, though they are still in the process of counting them. This means that Martin Studio has not only been a thriving and vital Concord business, but that it has been an important chronicler of life here. These images will serve as invaluable documentation of the last half-century's population and their activities for subsequent generations of researchers. The studio has seen many changes over the years. The flux in styles of photography (studio light versus natural light), Dave's reputation for editorial, freelance photography for the Concord Journal, the move from 18 Main Street to 696 Main among the responses to changing times. In making an outdoor setting for photos, Dave also became a knowledgeable and devoted gardener. And now enormous changes in technology have driven his current transition: the use of video, digital cameras and manipulation, color photo copiers have changed the lives of photographers everywhere. Keith Martin now lives in the Austin, TX area. Dave will be marrying (a just thing for a wedding photographer) and moving to Winchester. Dave is still available for on-site photography, but is discontinuing his wedding work and will no longer keep an in-house studio. And new types of work are on his horizen as well. "It is time to move on," he says. We will have to find someone else to document the next 50 years of Concord's people, places and events. Photos this column all by Keith Martin, ©Martin Studio: Top - The Old North Bridge in Winter. 2nd from top - Concord Center, 1959 at twilight 3rd from top - Minuteman Statue 2nd from bottom - One example of thousands of portraits Just above - The Old North Bridge from the Concord River

It is with much mixed emotion that I write these words. I have sold my home of over twenty-one years and will have moved to Winchester by the time you read this. The occasion for the move is a very lovely lady, my fiance, Jan (that's us at right). After much discussion on the subject we decided to live together in her home there. That's the happy part. The sad part is leaving a town that has nurtured me for almost a quarter of a century. During that time I practiced the art and business of photography, first as a freelanceer, then under the heading of Studio Six Nine Six. In 1979 I had the opportunity to buy Keith Martin's Studio. During the eighties, I developed a reputation as a wedding photographer. At the peak, I was chronicling forty to fifty weddings a year. I have been to over five hundred weddings in my career. Winchester is not THAT far away so it is not like I am abandoning Concord altogether. Many of my friends are in Concord. I will continue to come to Rotary meetings at The Colonial Inn every Thursday. My banker, my attorney, my accountant, my wine merchant are all here. I'll be back. My personal direction, while it remains oriented toward visual images, will now embrace the computer, the Internet and digital imaging. I am looking forward to making creative digitally enhanced images that will appear on the Web. Desktop Publishing, Web Page Design here I come..... I am retiring of sorts. I have donated my portrait and wedding files to The Concord Free Public Library. While these records may not mean much today, history has taught us that future generations will be glad to have a glimpse of their past. Photohorizoncolumn all by Dave Chase, ©Martin Studio: Top - the happy couple Next three photos - from Dave's extensive collection of portraits Just above - Lazy Summer River Photo in border at left - Concord Town House