Early in 1839 the wonderful invention of photography was officially announced to the world. Soon its commercial potential was becoming realised and a new occupation was emerging – that of the professional studio photographer. The first photographic rooms offering luxury daguerreotype portraits opened during the 1840s. In the following decades, as photographic techniques advanced, prices reduced and demand for portrait photographs extended throughout society, and the number of commercial studios soared. In the 1851 census, 51 professional photographers were recorded operating throughout Britain; by 1861 there were almost 3,000 and in 1871 more than 4,700. These figures continued to grow until the 1910s: then professional portrait photography reached its height before beginning a slow decline, reflecting the rise of amateur photography.

Studio photography was an attractive proposition: the trade was open to virtually anyone and potentially it could generate a decent income. In particular, the surge in public demand for carte de visite ‘album portraits’ during the early 1860s encouraged many to try their hand at commercial photography. Combining science and art, the practice of photography naturally appealed to opticians, chemists, watchmaker/jewellers, artists, printers, frame-makers and the like, but also attracted diverse tradesmen and entrepreneurs, from boot makers to bakers.

Some photographers ran a studio as a sideline alongside their main craft or trade, often from a room in their home or shop, while others operated as full-time photographers, renting town-centre premises and employing assistants. Professional photography was a competitive industry but those who succeeded often remained in business for decades, perhaps taking on new working partners, expanding into larger premises or opening new branches, and eventually handed over a thriving business to their sons.

Commercial photography was a male-dominated arena, but independent female photographers did exist, while other women assisted photographer fathers, husbands and brothers in the studio, or worked as colourists, re-touching black and white photographs. Far more people were employed in the industry than census statistics suggest, yet tens of thousands of named photographers were recorded between the mid-19th and mid-20th centuries and many family historians today can claim descent from the commercial photographers of the past.

The historical evidence available for researching photographer ancestors mainly concerns the professional operators who worked under their own name: it can be impossible to trace the junior photographers and anonymous assistants who worked behind the scenes within a commercial studio. Original sources of information about identified photographers may be found in the decennial census returns, business advertisements in local newspapers and trade directories and extant photographs bearing their name and studio details, although minor operators and those who dipped in and out of the trade may not have been included on census returns and probably advertised only rarely, if at all: these have left little trace of their activities, except perhaps for random photographs taken at their studio.

Few of our ancestors left behind tangible evidence of their occupation, trade or skill, yet the professional output of numerous studio photographers survives today in the form of privately- or publicly-owned photographs printed with their business name and address. Sometimes photographs originating in the studio of a photographer ancestor have been handed down the generations as family heirlooms but, if not, examples of his or her work may be found illustrated in books, displayed on the internet, or preserved within local library, museum or archive collections. It may even be possible to buy some of their photographs from private dealers or sellers on eBay or other commercial sites. It is very rewarding to be able to study, even hold in the hand, the physical products of forebears’ expertise or, at least, pictures created under their direct supervision.

Photographic mounts are also akin to trade cards and sometimes the backs of the cards display interesting information about their business, alongside the photographer/studio name and address(es) . Keen to publicise any features likely to impress clients, photographers sometimes included on their mounts mention of any photographic awards or medals won; royal warrants if they were patronised by royalty; brief descriptions of their facilities; itemised prices of their products; and details of their services, for example whether they were able to make home visits, photograph children, animals, landscapes and so on.

A successful high street studio photographer could produce at least 3,000 or 4,000 photographic portraits a year, the most prolific operators turning out considerably more. To some extent studio work was seasonal as, until the introduction of electric lighting (typically during the 1890s in many provincial towns), good natural daylight was important and winter days meant shorter business hours, although some commercial photographers worked partly on location, for example photographing weddings or school groups. With studio portraits, often photographers wrote the negative number in pencil or ink on the back of their card mounts and kept the original glass plate negatives, so that customers could order copies later on, by quoting their negative number. The negative numbers written on surviving photographs taken by photographer ancestors whose operative dates have been determined can suggest roughly at what point in their career each photograph was taken.

Most of our photographer ancestors ran modest high street studios in their city or town of residence, serving a regular local clientele, but a minority would have been well-known in their day, particularly if they operated superior establishments and photographed royalty, ‘celebrities’ and the social elite.

If their work is deemed of special historical and cultural significance their original studio ledgers, account books, photographic negatives and perhaps other records may well have been preserved in a public museum or archive.

Only a very few photographic studios originating in the 19th century are still operational today: one example is Edward Reeves of Lewes in East Sussex, established in 1855, whose present proprietor is the great grandson of the founder and who has preserved the studio’s archives. However, sadly most Victorian and Edwardian high street studios have long since gone, their premises demolished or altered beyond recognition, their glass negatives perhaps recycled during World War One and any business papers destroyed. This is frustrating for descendants visiting the location of an ancestor’s studio, although if the building still stands traces of the original painted sign may remain on the wall.