Photography
The work of artists like Clementina Hawarden in the mid-nineteenth century elevated photography to the realm of fine art.By the 1880s, photography was a well-established as a medium used for many purposes, including portraiture, journalism and documentation. The work of artists such as Julia Margaret Cameron and Clementina Hawarden active in the mid-century helped advance the medium to the status of fine art. In the 1880s, there were nearly 300 photography studios in London.[1] Commercial photography was widespread in its applications, and the many types of photographs which the Lorimers are hired to take, including photographic studies for artists, lecture slides, postmortem photography, and portraiture, were all common.
Imperial England
Britain's colonial empire serves as an essential backdrop for The Romance of a Shop; key plot developments center on Britain's imperial connection to faraway colonies. When Aunt Caroline initially tries to convince the girls to marry she considers sending them to India to find husbands, which "works wonders in that regard." Fanny initially rejects her suitor Mr. Marsh because he is poor, and leaving for Australia provides the opportunity for him to accumulate wealth over time and return to Britain with the resources to marry. British fighting in the African colonies calls Frank Jermyn away as an illustrator to report on war developments. His departure, possible death, and return is essential in the plot surrounding Lucy's courtship.