T. W. Steven, 3 James Morrison St., 1885 - 1914+

3 James Morrison street is close to the London street corner, so it is likely that just one location is involved on this and the cards below.. The design on the back of this first card, supplied by the curiously named 'Leather, Sadler & Holmes, Manchester' suggests the early to mid 1880s, so is not likely to be later than 1885 or 1886

The family portrait, with a slightly mobile child, has suffered the attentions of the touch up pen on the eyes. The print on the second card is probably derived from some version of the carbon paper process, and has survived better. Note that the design on the back, registered by 'C. E. & C.'is the same design, that appears on other cards, eg the cabinet cards of Armour, and Forbes & Co. (q.v.) The cards themselves have gilt but square cut edges. Such opulent designs were common in the late 1880s

The earliest date we have for 'T. W. Steven & Co' is 1898, and the two cards below, in the cream and gold format can only have been a few years after that date. There seems to have been a return to full figure portraits by practitioners in this era, as opposed to the vignetted closeups which were more common in the 1890s.

The textured and serrated edge card below with its neat cartouche at the bottom is probably later than the two above, perhaps from the early Edwardian years. The image looks older though, perhaps an earlier photo re-processed.