John Gunn: The Man Who Spreads Joy The family-run camera shop gives exposure to Irish photographers during lockdown
by Jessica Krieg
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e talk on a Tuesday afternoon after John is back from mass where he heads every morning at 11:30. While he follows his morning ritual, his daughters Fiona and Cathy open up the shop. Located on Dublin 2’s Wexford Street walking into John Gunn’s camera shop feels more like walking into someone’s home than anything else. Every little bit of wall space that doesn’t show posters about upcoming events in the neighbourhood or ads for all kinds of camera equipment is plastered with family photos that were taken inside the shop over the last 5 decades they have been in business.
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People are important. People knock the edges off. That’s part of why I’m not retired.
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What was only a means to an end in the beginning, “to make money and have livelihood,” soon became a passion – not just for John but also for the rest of his family. He says, “It was a wonderful feeling when the first customer walked into the shop.” Earlier this year the Gunn’s celebrated their business’ 50th birthday. “It’s fantastic,” he explains, after I ask him what it is like to be working with his family, all sharing the same passion. “You never have to explain why you are home late because they are with you,” he laughs warmheartedly. “Everyone just knows exactly what to do. And I now even have my granddaughters come in on the weekends, on Fridays and Saturdays. And they just love it. It was their own request to just come in and work here. It’s wonderful to have them all and they have terrific energy and it’s just fabulous to have them,” he elaborates a little more. A little stuffy – but in a loving, lived-in kind of way – the inside of the small shop is filled with display cabinets full of cameras, a huge fridge filled with film rolls and everything else a photog-
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