If nothing else, Heinrich Axtmann must have been a successful photographer since he had two studio locations. More than likely he had employees, with a second photographer filling in for him at which ever location he wasn't at on any given day, and perhaps lab staff so he could go home at night rather then spending his evenings in the darkroom.
Once again, we're in Saxony. But, I bought all five photos in this mini series from an EBay seller in Bellingham, Washington. Were these all photos from the same family? If so, why did they use different photographers in different towns? What about the Swedish cabinet card? Perhaps someone emigrated to the United States, between the wars, and he or she brought photos of family and friends with them. Maybe they were mailed from Germany to someone who was already in the U.S. Of course, that's the trouble with antique dealers. Things start passing through so many hands that any such connections become lost. I'll keep these photos together, but after I'm dead and gone, I doubt the next owner will be so concerned with such things. The fact is, I don't really have any heirs, so it's quite possible that all of my collections will end up on the curb or in the trash.
