'Crinoline Difficulties'

The photographer Michael Burr of Birmingham produced a vast series of comic cartes-de-visite with humorous captions printed in the lower margin. Although it was never signed, his work is instantly recognisable. The humour may not always have stood the test of time but these staged scenes, carefully orchestrated in his studio with props and hired actors, are a faithful reflection of the topics that most interested mid-Victorian audiences and frequently reveal aspects of everyday life usually considered too mundane for other contemporary photographers to notice.

This example, depicting the perils of trying to mount an omnibus while wearing a crinoline, is captioned 'Crinoline Difficulties' in the lower margin.