An 1876 trade directory shows Frederick W. Robinson working as a "painter & photographer", with premises in St. Martin street, Stamford St. Martin, Lincolnshire.  By April 1881, Frederick and Susan were living at 21 High Street "Photographer's Shop", Stamford Baron St. Martin; he described himself as a photographer, and she as a photographer's assistant.  Between then and October 1882, when an advertisement appeared in the Long Eaton Advertiser, they moved to Long Eaton in Derbyshire, where they set up in premises at 3 Regent Street.  The advertisement and the 1887 and 1891 Kelly's trade directories show "Susannah Elizabeth Robinson" as proprietor of the studio, although the census of April 1891 describes both of them as photographers.  Adamson (1997) states that Mr. F.W. Robinson was mainly a sign-writer, decorater and picture framer, but also dealt with the outdoor photography.  They were living at 13 Prince Street in Long Eaton.

Frederick Robinson died at Stamford in late 1894.  However, Susanna operated the studio in Long Eaton until 1893, when she moved to 29 Lavender Street, Nottingham (Adamson, 1897).   This studio appears to have been open in 1893-1895 and again in 1906-1907 (Heathcote & Heathcote, n.d.).