Rupert Potter (1832-1914), father of the children's writer and illustrator, Beatrix Potter (1866-1943), was a keen amateur photogapher and a close friend of the painter and illustrator, Sir John Everett Millais (1829-1896). Rupert would often assist Millais by photographing backgrounds for paintings and sitters for portraits. Beatrix Potter recounted one particularly memorable sitting in July 1884 when her father photographed the former prime minister, William Ewart Gladstone (1809- 1898), for Millais' second portrait of him, completed in 1885: ' Papa has been photographing old Gladstone this morning at Mr. Millais'… They kept off politics of course, and talked about photography. Mr. Gladstone talked of it on a large scale, but not technically. What would it come to, how far would the art be carried, did papa think people would ever be able to photograph in colours?' (Journal, Monday 28th July 1884).

Effie Millais (1860-1944) and Caroline Millais were the daughters of Euphemia ('Effie') Chalmers Gray (1828-1897) and Sir John Everett Millais (1829-1896). Euphemia had previously married the art critic, author, poet and artist John Ruskin (1819-1900) in 1846. Shortly after their marriage, however, Ruskin introduced her to his friend and protegée, Millais, and while she modelled for Millais' painting, The Order of Release (1853), she fell in love with him. Ruskin had been unwilling to consummate his marriage to Euphemia and, despite having been married for several years, she was still a virgin. In 1854, therefore, Euphemia annulled her marriage to Ruskin and married Millais the following year. They had eight children, including John Guille Millais, a naturalist and wildlife artist.

The Millais family lived mostly in London but spent long summer holidays at Annet Lodge near Bowerswell, Perthshire. Here, Millais executed many of his best-known paintings and enjoyed the company of likeminded friends, including the Potters who also spent extended summers in Perthshire, first at Dalguise, then later at Eastwood, a large house on the bank of the Tay in Dunkeld. Rupert photographed several pleasant summer afternoons in the company of the Millais family.

The twenty-foot mercat cross (market cross) of Dunkeld originally stood in the centre of the Cross, or High Street, of the town of Dunkeld as a symbol of the town's right to trade. In the past it was also the focal point of town events, such as executions, announcements and proclamations. However, in 1864 the cross was removed to make way for the impressive Atholl Memorial Fountain erected in memory of the Sixth Duke of Atholl, George Augustus Frederick John Murray (1814–1864). The mercat cross was resituated in the grounds of Dalguise House and was a preferred backdrop to several of Rupert's portraits; it is now housed in the Birnam Institute.