Mobile studios

Not all photographers were confined to the high streets of Victorian cities. For the itinerant operator, the world was the studio. This theme encompasses the restless spirit of the medium—photographers who packed their chemicals, glass plates, and cameras to bring the miracle of photography to remote villages, seaside resorts, and frontier towns.
 
Whether driven by the spirit of adventure or the necessity of finding new customers, these roving image-makers operated outside the brick-and-mortar norms. They were the visual storytellers of the periphery, ensuring that the history of the 19th and early 20th centuries was not recorded solely in the metropolis.

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Follow the Journey
 
Trace the path of the itinerant photographer.