Burns Studio Artifact Collection

Used by photographers Grover Burns, Fern Lucile Burns, Stanley Burns, Marilyn (Burns) Bickle, and Kelly Bickle of the Burns Studio. The Burns Studio operated in Boise between 1912 and 2012. It grew from a home-based operation to a commercial studio located at 1303 State Street. The studio specialized in studio portraits, high school senior portraits, and in the early years, images of Boise, businesses, modes of transportation, special events, buildings, homes, and landscapes. The studio retained the vast majority of cameras, tools, equipment, and photographic images used and produced throughout its entire operation between 1912 and 2012. This collection was donated to the City of Boise Department of Arts & History in 2017 and 2018 by Kelly and Marilyn Bickle and represents a complete photography studio, which was in operation for 100+ years. Four family members served as Burns Studio photographers: Grover Burns (1912-1937), Fern Lucille Burns (1928-1942), Stanley Burns (1954-1986), and Kelly Bickle (1985-2012). James Grover Burns (b. January 21, 1886 – d. December 4, 1943) married Ethel June Hedges on August 31, 1910. They opened the studio in Boise in 1912. Prior to 1912, Grover had worked as a commercial photographer in Caldwell, Idaho and Denver, Colorado. In 1928, daughter Fern Lucile Burns (b. December 24, 1912 – d. October 16, 2007) began working in the studio. She was the primary photographer from 1937 until 1942, when the studio closed. Fern Lucile married Donald Millard Sawyer on January 18, 1942 and had two children: Sharon Sawyer Taylor and John Burns Sawyer. In 1954, Stanley Martin Burns (b. March 13, 1925 - d. October 25, 2009), son of Grover and Ethyl, reopened the studio. Stanley primarily focused on studio portraits and really grew the high school senior portrait portion of the business. Stanley married Mary Louise (Marylu) Diamond on November 26, 1950 and they had three children: Lucy Meryl Burns Artis, Marilyn Louise Burns Bickle, and Martin Samuel Burns. Stanley retired from the studio in 1986, at which time son-in-law Kelly Bickle took over as the primary photographer. Kelly Bickle (b. September 11, 1950) married Stanley and Marylu’s daughter, Marilyn Louise Burns on March 22, 1985 and they had two children: MacKenzie (Mack) Bickle and Augustus (Gus) Diamond Bickle. Kelly focused on studio portraits, high school senior portraits, and portraits taken on-location. Kelly and Marilyn Bickle closed the studio in 2012. At that time, the collection was moved to the Bickle’s personal residence and stored primarily on the first and second floor of their garage.