In these early years of photography the most popular form took place in the studio. Although a photograph was a relatively expensive souvenir, the studios attracted the middle classes who were now making their way to the Lake District by railway. Following the tradition for portrait painting, these images became the most fashionable keepsakes of a trip. The first photograph albums appeared in the 1860s and were traditionally made of leather with a metal clasp. They would contain portraits of family members or views from holidays.

Early portrait photography required the sitter to stay still for a long time whilst the glass plate was exposed. As a result, the people who stare back from these early portraits often seem stiff and unsmiling. Occasionally, you can spot where someone has moved; the image will be blurred or partly transparent.

Card photographs known as Carte-de-Visites became popular in the nineteenth century. They allowed the mass production of images of popular figures or local celebrities.