HISTORY
Lythos Studios Office
Clay Hamner’s grandfather opened one of Richmond’s first advertising agencies known as the Metropolitan Engraving Company in 1906, and he has continued the family tradition into the 21st century. The Metropolitan Engraving Company changed over the years, becoming a newspaper and magazine shop back in the days of film, cameras, chemicals, and operators who required years of training to use the equipment.
The company stayed in the family, and in 1980 it became known as Graphics-3, with Hamner’s mother and business partners at the helm. Clay Hamner officially joined the family business in the fall of 1989. Prior to this, he had made a success of himself in the field of chemistry. He had more than a working knowledge of what was required, having worked there as a teenager, and now that the digital age was approaching his computer experience working in various labs became essential for furthering the growth of the business.
The media world was changing from the labor intensive world of analog photography to point and click digital. Clay began to modernize the business with new computers, scanners, film recorders, and began training directly with Photoshop. Passing on his knowledge to the employees instigated a dramatic growth spurt for the company, turning it into a regional powerhouse over a short period of time.
Hamner decided to strike out on his own, and he left Graphics-3 to start a business in tune with the constantly changing technological world of computers and design. Thus, Lythos Studios was born on December 1, 1999.
The company mission initially was to service advertising agencies in the Richmond, Washington DC, and North Carolina region, focusing on creative retouching and image creation using digital photography. In 2007, Lythos Studios began working with businesses requiring all types of marketing and advertising, including media purchases for television, radio, and digital banner advertising.
Today, focused messaging and branding utilizing all types of media has made Lythos Studios a success, coupled with a commitment to each client to; discover, create, implement, and measure. Creativity and the ability to interpret data is a powerful combination that enables Lythos Studios to complete its mission with every client.
