Photographers of Great Britain and Ireland 1840 to 1940

their photographs and their studios

Was your ancestor a photographer? If so, find out more 

Want to date your old family photographs?

do try our DIY    Photo Dating Wizard    unique & guaranteed 

Get information from the world’s largest collection of British and Irish carte de visite photographs and related data

Currently supporting the ‘We Called to See You – Victorian Cartes de Visite’ exhibition at the College of Optometrists in London.

Please note – 

Firstly, how we are not able to help you

We do not hold

• the records/day books of any photographer; therefore we cannot identify the person in your photograph from a reference number written on your photograph mount
• the negatives of any photographer; therefore we cannot provide copies of other family photographs taken at the same time as a photograph that you may already have in your possession
• the original stock of photographs of any photographer

Secondly, how we can help you

If you want to try to identify who is in your photograph  – click here   

Also, if you want to

• date a family photograph – click here 
• research a photographer or see an example of their work – click here
• read some really interesting biographies of photographers – click here
• see images of old photographic studios – click here
• sell your old photographs, albums or cameras – click here
• obtain images for publication or display – click here

A charge is made for some of our services to help maintain the archive. Thank you.

For further information, please contact us. 

Extensive information is available on

• 33,000 photographers from the Victorian era and later – up to 1940
• 62,000 studio addresses and dates of operation
• Over 50 fascinating biographies – big families, multiple marriages, financial woes and emigration – as well as the odd jail sentence !
• FREE downloads about various aspects of Victorian photography

The information, much of it unique, is taken from original cartes de visite and cabinet cards in the Victorian Image Collection. Information from other sources such as the UK census, trade advertisements and photographic ephemera is also available.