Momento Photo Books' assets acquired by Melbourne’s Photobookshop.com

Assets from shuttered photo book publishing company Momento Photo Books have been purchased by Melbourne photo printing company photobookshop.com.

Speaking to AP, Photobookshop owner Peter Thomas said the opportunity to buy the company’s assets came after an attempt to buy Momento following its closure in June last year.

“We wanted to buy the business once we heard it had closed, but unfortunately we weren’t able to come to a deal,” he said.

“Later, through the liquidators, we were able to acquire some of the company’s physical assets, including a 7-colour HP Indigo digital press, along with a laminator, UV coater, lay-flat book-binding machine, sewing machine, and other book finishing equipment."

Like Momento, Photobookshop is an Australian-owned and operated business. It employs 50 people from its base in Melbourne and also has a presence in New Zealand. The company was founded in 2009.

The company’s services include photobooks, canvases and other photoprint products, and, like Momento, it uses a web-based design tool for laying out photobooks and designs.

Momento’s shock closure in 2024 prompted an outpouring of sadness from both sides of the Tasman. The business was a popular platform for many Australasian photographers to publish their work.

At the time, company founder Libby Jeffery said the business closure was a casualty that began during Covid.

"The biggest issue was two years of Covid compounded by another two years of the cost of living crisis, that left customers with minimal funds for discretionary spending," she told AP.

Photobookshop’s Peter Thomas says the challenges Momento faced weren’t unique, and describes rising costs, including wages, ink and paper and postage as all seeing large increases in recent years.

“When we started, it was possible to freight a photobook for $5, now it's $12,” he said.

Despite this, he is confident that Momento users will enjoy the Photobookshop experience.

“We’d really love to help photographers print their work, and our staff can help with the learning curve of using our software” he says.

You can find out more about Photobookshop here.