Keith Hewitt shows how he framed Hoang Anh Tuan’s 2008 Olympics silver medal

Just a few steps from Notre Dame Cathedral - Ho Chi Minh City’s famous landmark - a picture framing shop is celebrating its tenth anniversary this month.

In 1997, Englishman Keith Hewitt from Manchester City came to Ho Chi Minh City for the first time. “I met Le Nghia Hiep in 1997 when I first came to the city,” Hewitt said.

“At that time I had just flown in from Singapore where I had been listening to a top picture framer. He told me he did a lot of framing for Vietnamese people residing there,” he said.

He thought there could be a market for framing in HCMC and told Hiep about it when they met. Hiep agreed and they decided to go into business together.

“But before we could start, Hiep needed to go overseas to learn all about framing. I arranged a trip for him to Denmark and England. In England, he stayed in my house, and for three weeks, went to a framer in Manchester to learn.

“Then exactly 10 years ago we opened our first shop in Ho Chi Minh City.”

After that the two business partners went to Australia together for extra training.

“To improve our knowledge and skills, we went on a trip to Australia to study framing with Vivian Kistler, one of the top framing trainers in the world,” Hiep said.

Kistler is a highly respected framer who has sold over one million books.

Hewitt said in 2005, he and Hiep made “our biggest investment of US$15,000” to buy a computerized mount cutter which can cut very complicated shapes out of the quality card they use as picture backing.“

Recently Vietnamese weightlifter Hoang Anh Tuan asked the shop to frame his 2008 Olympics silver medal.

“We were honored to be asked to frame this medal,” Hewitt said.

Art World Picture Frame stocks lots of imported frames with a wide range of mount decorations, and the staff can recommend a suitable frame for any picture. They can frame silk, tapestries, medals, certificates, photographs, oil, watercolors or prints. You can also print your photos from memory cards or CDs, enlarge them and frame them.

Reported by Tuong Thuy