Who Framed You: A New Chapter on Harrison Street

It started with a bit of Beatles memorabilia:

“My strongest recollection,” said Richard Marks, “was ages ago walking into Easton’s premier framing shop, Lu-Ev Gallery, mostly known for framing Waterfowl Art with lithographs signed by John Lennon. The prints were from one of the 300 sets made as a wedding gift to Yoko. Lu-Ev framed five from the set beautifully”.

And, up until a few years ago, despite other framing choices, Lu-Ev was where you went to have things framed—artists preparing for Waterfowl, museum shows from across the Shore, or neighbors carrying in photos from graduations, anniversaries, and fishing trips. The faces behind the counter never changed much, and neither did the feeling. “To me, it was an anchor downtown,” Marks said. “And you knew the work there would be done professionally”.

The anchor began in 1946, when Lucille and Everett Henry opened Lu Ev Gift Mart, a tidy white storefront near the bank on Dover Street. “Framing wasn’t even part of the equation,” said Wayne Johnson, who would take over the business decades later. “They sold engraved invitations and greeting cards.” Everett, always tinkering, added framing a few years later, working out of a small shop near Hill’s Drug Store and carrying finished frames back across town for pickup.

It was a different Easton then—small, local, and stitched together by family businesses whose names everyone knew. After the war, Lu Ev was one of them.

By 1973, the Johnson family took over. They were not experienced farmers. In fact, they ran a bus company. “My great-grandfather started our transit company in 1921,” Johnson said. “We had 500 buses on the street in the district area.” When the Washington Metro absorbed the private lines in the early ’70s, the family looked for a new start. “Dad came up to Easton, walked into Lu Ev, met Everett Henry,” Johnson said. “Dad expressed interest, and Everett told him he wanted to retire.”

They bought the shop. “We knew nothing about it,” Johnson said. But his father loved finish carpentry, his brother Bobby could fix anything, and Wayne handled customers. They kept the invitations for a while, sending the engraving work out, but framing soon became the heart of the business.

“We bought molding by the length—twelve-foot sticks stacked along the wall—and cut every frame ourselves,” Johnson said. “With forty or fifty styles in stock, we could move fast. If the size was right, a customer could drop off a picture and we’d have it ready in a day.”

When suppliers began offering pre-cut molding—”chops,” as they were called—the business changed again. “There’s almost no waste in a chop,” Johnson said. “With length molding, there’s a lot of waste because there are imperfections.” The shop’s sample wall grew, and so did its reputation. Within a decade, Lu Ev needed more room.

“In less than ten years, we moved across the street,” Johnson said. “We went from about 1,500 square feet to 7,000.” The new space brought better tools—pneumatic nailers and pinners that turned 24-hour jobs into two-hour ones, a vacuum press, and the capacity to handle major projects for the Waterfowl Festival and the Academy Art Museum, as well as custom work for collectors and homeowners throughout the Shore.

“When we moved across the street, we became a legitimate art gallery,” Johnson said. “We had room to expand.”

Marks remembered that era. “When I moved here in 1976, most art was either a duck print or a decoy,” he said. “Waterfowl weekend was probably a month’s business in one weekend.”

Lu Ev became part of Easton’s rhythm. “We were approached once to close our store during Waterfowl weekend,” Johnson said. “I told them, we’re here 365 days a year—and you’re here for one.” He smiled. “This is Easton. We stay open.”

The people made the place. “We had Joanne—she worked 27 years,” Johnson said. “Another lady was Chris Barr, she worked 25.” Marks agreed. “Joanne was wonderful and helpful and knowledgeable,” he said. “She always gave great advice on mattes and frames and called to let me know when the work was finished.”

For 50 years, the sound of saws and the smell of fresh mat board never stopped. Then life changed. “In 2017, my youngest brother died,” Johnson said. “In 2022, my other brother died. We went from three down to one. Age catches up.”

By 2023, it was time. “I wanted something to happen to the business before something happened to me,” he said. “I did not want to sell it piece by piece.”

That’s when Marks stepped in.

He hadn’t planned to run a ‘shop.’ “The original intent of getting the equipment was knowing we needed another frame shop,” he said. “I can acquire the equipment and figure out the rest later.” Then local artists started calling. “They asked, could you carry art supplies?” Marks said. “A lot of them have special brands they like—quality they prefer that’s not always available. Some of it can be found online, but not all of it. People wanted more than just the big box stores; they asked for the local touch.”

That changed everything. If they were going to carry art supplies, they needed a visible storefront. When the former Trade Winds boutique closed, the space became available. “Alice Ryan and her family, who owned Trade Whims, were wonderful in helping with the transition,” Marks said. “Even some of the furnishings they left behind were useful.”

He also had help from the man who came before him. “We didn’t just buy the equipment from Lu-Ev,” Marks said. “Wayne came with the equipment—helping us get things set up, showing us how to operate it. He made the transition smooth.”

The new shop will open as Who Framed You, a name suggested by artist Shelton Hawkins. “My niece’s husband, a graphic designer in Asheville, did the logo,” Marks said. “I told him an owl would be cool, and I sent a picture of Amy wearing these funky glasses. The result fits perfectly.”

Marks’s team includes familiar faces. “Artist Cheryl Southwick is amazing—she framed for years at the Academy Art Museum,” he said. Also joining are Taylor Wheatley and Kearson Harnon, both former Michaels managers who know the ropes. “We could not be more fortunate to have assembled such an incredible team.”

The shop is now open, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony planned for October 20. “Even though we do not have a complete art supply inventory yet, we want to be ready for Waterfowl and the holidays,” Marks said. “Our focus will be on custom framing, curated art supplies, and quick turnaround. We hope folks recognize that small business is part of the fabric of the community and are banking on the loyalty small towns still have for small stores, but know we still need to be competitive.”

If there’s a thread running from 1946 to today, it’s continuity—of craft, of people, of care. Johnson put it: “We were very fortunate to have good people. That’s what kept it going.” Marks agreed. “Good things come together when good people work together,” he said.

The framing lights are on again, though not in the old Lu Ev building. Who Framed You has opened around the corner at 11 North Harrison Street. New space, but with the same tools, the same craft, and the same care that framed Easton’s history for nearly fifty years. Inside, the scent of fresh matte board returns. Hands accustomed to the craft are at work. The name on the door is new, but the soul of the business endures.

Val Cavalheri is a writer and photographer. She has written for various publications, including The Washington Post.  Previously, she served as the editor of several magazines, including Bliss and Virginia Woman. Although her camera is never far from her reach, Val retired her photography studio when she moved from Northern Virginia to the Eastern Shore a few years ago.. She and her husband, Wayne Gaiteri, have two children and one grandchild.