Prosser, Willard Lorne

Willard Lorne Prosser was born on August 23, 1898 in North Lunenbourg, Ontario. In 1920, he moved to Kingston, Ontario as an apprentice to painter and photographer Peter McKenzie. In 1921, he bought a photographic business in Gananoque from William Findlay. The business was situated in the old Merchant’s Bank building on the south- east corner of King and Stone streets. Mr. Prosser specialized in aerial photography, the restoration of old prints, and portrait photography. In 1957, he moved his studio into his home. In the 1950’s, when he began to attend photographic conventions and enter competitions, his work won five international awards and a Canadian award. While the mainstay of his business was portraiture and print restoration, he also produced photographs of the scenic beauty of the Thousand Island area and the town of Gananoque for postcards and publicity brochures, and promotional material for local businesses including the local Gananoque Steel Plant. Lorne Prosser died on 30 April 1990.