In 1947, in the aftermath of World War II, the hectic pace at Isaacson Iron Works in Seattle began to slow down. Thats when ironworker Gustuf Rowland Johnson decided to transform a hobby into a vocation: photography. He converted the den in his modest Seattle home into a studio, his basement into a darkroom and Rowland Studio was born. His reputation for photographic excellence grew quickly. In 1951, he was chosen as the official school photographer for Roosevelt High School.