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Wykes Norton was a professional photographer based in Sydney and proprietor of the Royal Studio.

A carte de visite is a stiff card of about 11.4 x 6.4 cm, with an attached paper photograph, invented in 1854 by André-Adolphe-Eugène Disderi. They were introduced into Australia in 1859 by William Blackwood with albums arriving in 1860, aiding the collection and distribution of multiple cartes. Cartes were usually portraits and were made by the millions worldwide. Multi-lens, or ‘multiplying’ cameras were introduced in the 1860s, which were capable of producing from 2 to 32 images in quick succession, dramatically increasing the number of cartes de visite that could be made from a single photographic plate. They were easily reproduced by making paper contact prints from the glass plates, which were then cut and pasted to card.

Invented in 1856 by Professor Hamilton Smith in Ohio, USA, the tintype is a unique image made on a thin sheet of iron coated with a black or brown lacquer or enamel. An inexpensive and popular process often used for portraits, it has a limited tonal range and images appear flat and soft.