Outdoor photography was not instantly popular. The sheer amount of equipment needed to produce a quality image was easier to use in the studio than outside, where the photographer would have to struggle along pavements or across the open fells.

As more people poured into the Lake District, however, demand grew for images of the scenery and of towns where people had stayed. The landscape photograph went on to produce a lucrative business. Everything from postcards to large prints to hang on the wall at home were becoming increasingly popular. The Armitt Museum collection contains hundreds of Herbert Bell copies that would once have been sold in his shop. Sets of photographs and catalogues were also produced as ready-made souvenirs containing images of popular attractions.

The end of the nineteenth century also saw the development of the postcard industry. The Abraham brothers were among the first to recognise this potential having witnessed early versions in Switzerland. Cheap postal rates introduced by Royal Mail and quicker delivery times encouraged their popularity. The Lake District could now be seen by people all over the world.

Today these outdoor images provide a vital record of both countryside and town in the late Victorian period.