W.A.Astin, Burton on Trent, photographer help

[garydevine]

Hello

I was wondering if anyone could help me try find information on a photographer. My friend has a picture from the early 1900s. The name on the bottom of the cdv is W.A.Astin 121, Stobnall Street, Burton on Trent. I’ve tried looking but can’t seem to find anything so hoping someone could help. My friends confused as the person she believes to be the sitter is W.A.Astin himself, William Appleby Astin, who was born at 121 Stobnall Street in 1880 and died in 1918 and in the census he is a hairdresser, so she thinks the name and address is that of the sitter instead of the actual photographer which confuses me so hoping someone on here might be able to find something out to make sense of it

Gary

[jim1]

Can we see it, back & front.

[BumbleB]

I think that the street is Shobnall Street - a long residential street.  If I get a chance on Sunday, when I have to go to the hospital, I'll see if I can locate 121.


https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=16&lat=52.80994&lon=-1.64713&layers=6&right=ESRIWorld

[BumbleB]

I think this is 121 Shobnall Street - Street View - the house with the two seats.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.8112714,-1.6483867,3a,75y,90.18h,83.35t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s1ckGprX9OQR1RnkBd6hGtw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[garydevine]

rather strange that its residential, could a photographer work from home in a make shift studio then? in 1911 William is listed living in 163 Waterloo Street as a hairdresser from home and in 1881 he is with his family at the Stobnall address, same number and place, only a baby

Gary

[garydevine]

that is the family about 1896. his father was the county co bailiff and William is in the back right

Gary

[jim1]

You're quite right about the date of the 2nd. one.
The first one is around the same time.
To answer your question it was quite common for home addresses to be used
as studios.
It was also common for photographers to have more than one occupation.
In set-ups like this wives were often the photographer while the husband
worked in his other job.
There's nothing to indicate this is a self portrait of W. A. Astin.
Are they part of your friends family ?

[BumbleB]

This is the description of the area for the 1881 census, and I'm pretty sure that it is the same area.

[garydevine]

Makes me wonder then if he was a photographer on the side but there’s been know evidence to say he was.

Yes the family photo and the single photo are her relative, the single photo is of that of the boy in the back row on the right but in later years.

I thought maybe perhaps another family member was a photographer living still at the Stobnall address and that’s perhaps they customised it or something since in 1911 he wasn’t living at the Stobnall address himself

Gary