Help Rebuild Looking Glass Photo After Break-In

Looking Glass Photo Needs Your Help to Rebuild

What Happened?

Early Sunday morning, our store was devastated by a violent break-in. A vehicle was rammed through our front entrance multiple times, shattering windows, destroying doors, and leaving extensive damage in its wake. Along with the destruction, a significant amount of merchandise was stolen.

While insurance will cover some of the losses, it won’t be enough to rebuild our storefront or cover the full cost of what’s been taken. This puts the future of Looking Glass in jeopardy.

What Needs to Be Fixed?

We are facing overwhelming repair and security upgrade costs, including:

✔ Restoring our storefront and entrance

✔ Replacing broken fixtures, displays, and equipment

✔ Installing a roll-up security door for added protection

✔ Upgrading security measures to prevent future incidents

✔ Covering operational costs to keep our team employed as we recover

On top of these expenses, we’re navigating another difficult period of disrupted business, just as we were regaining stability after our move to this new space.

Why This Matters

For over 50 years, Looking Glass Photo has been more than just a camera store—it’s been a hub for photographers, artists, and creatives in the Bay Area. It’s a place where people come to learn, connect, and be inspired. This store isn’t just ours; it belongs to the incredible community that has kept it alive for more than five decades.

We had just begun to find our footing after the costly move to our new location—a move that was necessary to ensure Looking Glass could survive. During that transition, we made it a priority to keep our team employed despite the financial strain. Now, we are facing yet another challenge: rebuilding our storefront while continuing to serve our photo community and keeping our team together.

The Good News

Even in this dark moment, we have felt the light of our community. Friends—both longtime and new—have shown up to offer support, encouragement, and help.

Thanks to them, we’ve already cleaned up the shattered glass and debris. Our landlord immediately stepped in to frame a temporary wall where our entrance once stood. But this is just the beginning. There is still so much to assess, repair, and rebuild while we do our best to keep Looking Glass going.

How You Can Help

We are humbly asking for your support to help Looking Glass recover:

Looking Glass has always been about more than just selling cameras. It’s about fostering creativity, building connections, and keeping the spirit of photography alive in our community. If Looking Glass has ever helped you in your photographic journey, we ask for your help now—so we can continue to be here for years to come.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for being a part of our story.

With gratitude,

Jen & the Looking Glass Team