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• RULE NUMBER ONE : Every studio portrait was taken for a reason. 

 Consider these possible reasons a person would incur the expense of having a photograph taken. 

Achievements
• School prize [books, certificates, ribbons, colours]
• Scholarship [new school uniform]
• Sports Prize [cups medals badges] or [Sports equipment and kit]
• Fancy dress Competition [costume]
• Dance Competition [shoes & costume]

Life's Milestones
Sitters of the right age for:-
• Uniform [Military or job related]
• Bridesmaid [dress/bouquet]
• Confirmation [suit/dress]
• Engagement [couple/pose]
• Marriage [Not always obvious]
• Seventeen [Girls of that age]Senior Prom equivalent
• Twenty-one [Voting age at this time]
• Apprenticeship [clothing?]
• First Job [Age/Clothing]
• Birth [Always a baby]

Annual Events
• Holiday [clothing/backdrop/seaside photographer]
• Near Christmas [photo to send to relatives]

Other Reasons
• Group of Youngsters [shared the cost]
• Pair of Friends [split the cost]
• Whole Family [Mum Dad & kids]
• Sent the money [by a relative who wanted a picture]
• Special Offer [Photographers often had special rates]
 The list is endless and unless something is written on the print or there is a clue in the picture you can only guess.

The silent sitter of every photograph knew the reason it was taken but they are not speaking.