In London Howlett rose to prominence while working for the Photographic Institution at 168 New Bond Street, London, which was a leading establishment for the commercial promotion of photography through exhibitions, publications, and commissions.
Although the Photographic Institution was established in 1853 by Joseph Cundall and Philip Henry Delamotte, it is believed that Howlett replaced Delamotte, who became professor of drawing at King's College London.
He was elected to membership of the Photographic Society of London, later the Royal Photographic Society, in December 1855 and remained a member until his death.

By 1856 Howlett was mentioned in the photographic press.
He sent prints to the annual exhibitions of photographic societies in London, Manchester, and Norwich.
These included landscape studies, In the Valley of the River Mole, Mickleham, and Box Hill, Surrey, which are presumed to have been taken in 1855.

He exhibited at the London Photographic Society and in 1856 published a booklet "On the Various Methods of Printing Photographic Pictures upon Paper, with Suggestions for Their Preservation".
He also designed and sold 'dark room tents' and worked in partnership with Joseph Cundall at "The Photographic Institution" at 168 New Bond Street, London.

Howlett undertook the first of a number of commissions for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1856, working for the Photographic Institution.
These included copying the works of Raphael for Prince Albert, and making a series of portraits of heroic soldiers from the Crimean War.
These were first exhibited in 1857 as 'Crimean Heroes' at the Photographic Society of London's annual exhibition.
In 2004 Cundall and Howlett's portraits of Crimean war veterans, were used by the Royal Mail for a set of six postage stamps to mark the 150th anniversary of the conflict.

Howlett's studio portraits at 'The Photographic Institute' included eminent 'fine artists' such as William Powell Frith, Frederick Richard Pickersgill, John Callcott Horsley, and Thomas Webster which were among a larger group exhibited at the Art Treasures Exhibition in Manchester in 1857.

Howlett was commissioned to make photographic studies of the crowd at the 1856 Epsom Derby for the painter William Powell Frith, who used them in 1858 for his painting of The Derby Day which was exhibited at the Royal Academy of Art in 1859.
The photographs were taken from the roof of a cab.
In London Howlett rose to prominence while working for the Photographic Institution at 168 New Bond Street, London, which was a leading establishment for the commercial promotion of photography through exhibitions, publications, and commissions. Although the Photographic Institution was established in 1853 by Joseph Cundall and Philip Henry Delamotte, it is believed that Howlett replaced Delamotte, who became professor of drawing at King's College London. He was elected to membership of the Photographic Society of London, later the Royal Photographic Society, in December 1855 and remained a member until his death.
By 1856 Howlett was mentioned in the photographic press. He sent prints to the annual exhibitions of photographic societies in London, Manchester, and Norwich. These included landscape studies, In the Valley of the River Mole, Mickleham, and Box Hill, Surrey, which are presumed to have been taken in 1855.
He exhibited at the London Photographic Society and in 1856 published a booklet "On the Various Methods of Printing Photographic Pictures upon Paper, with Suggestions for Their Preservation". He also designed and sold 'dark room tents' and worked in partnership with Joseph Cundall at "The Photographic Institution" at 168 New Bond Street, London.
Howlett undertook the first of a number of commissions for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1856, working for the Photographic Institution. These included copying the works of Raphael for Prince Albert, and making a series of portraits of heroic soldiers from the Crimean War. These were first exhibited in 1857 as 'Crimean Heroes' at the Photographic Society of London's annual exhibition. In 2004 Cundall and Howlett's portraits of Crimean war veterans, were used by the Royal Mail for a set of six postage stamps to mark the 150th anniversary of the conflict.
Howlett's studio portraits at 'The Photographic Institute' included eminent 'fine artists' such as William Powell Frith, Frederick Richard Pickersgill, John Callcott Horsley, and Thomas Webster which were among a larger group exhibited at the Art Treasures Exhibition in Manchester in 1857.
Howlett was commissioned to make photographic studies of the crowd at the 1856 Epsom Derby for the painter William Powell Frith, who used them in 1858 for his painting of The Derby Day which was exhibited at the Royal Academy of Art in 1859. The photographs were taken from the roof of a cab.
Robert Howlett