I had a very interesting chat today with an elderly gent who worked as a photographer for some fifty years in Cambridge (UK) but who has also been involved more recently in documenting the histories of photographers in and around Cambridge over the past two centuries. There's a wealth of samples of work from all eras, but always within the same geographical location so it also shows something of how photography itself has evolved.
One other interesting point is that for the typical working 'journeyman' photographer it was often a far from glamorous trade, and if you were working for others in a studio it could be just another job. One interesting life history is that of Frank Bird who had a range of employers where he was able to learn the ropes before starting a partnership and then having his own business. You can look them up.
http://www.fadingimages.uk/
