Arthur Winterbon was the son of a painter. Of his 7 siblings, 2 brothers were also photographers. Charles was a musician and photographer, who worked in London, and later in partnership with his brother Henry in their home town of Colchester.
In 1861 the census recorded Arthur Winterbon as an assistant artist living with artist photographer John Beattie and his wife Naomi, a general assistant. Beattie was a photographer in 1851, recorded in the census as a 'photographist'. In the early 1870s Beattie conducted experiments into 'spirit photography' and proved that such photographs were easily faked.
Cox's Southampton Directory 1869
Winterbon took over the studio at 11 Prospect Place from Joseph Sharpe in about 1869. 11 Prospect Place had been the studio of W.G Smith until about 1866-1867. Arthur Winterbon produced a carte de visite photograph of the studio in Prospect Place. The name over the shop was still W.G Smith when the photograph was taken.
Winterbon was listed at Prospect Place in the trade section for photographers in the 1869 Cox's Southampton Directory. In December 1870 The London Gazette published a 'Notice of Special Resolution for Liquidation by Arrangement of the affairs of Arthur Winterbon of 11 Upper Prospect Place in the town and county of Southampton, Photographer'. The 1871 census recorded Winterbon as a 'photographer for gain' at 11 Prospect Place, along with a housekeeper and a porter. Winterbon left Southampton soon after 1871, and A.G Rider and H.Barrett took over the Prospect Place studio.