Paolo Salviati was registered as a photographer in Venice by 1854. He had several shops from which he sold his prints, including a shop and window display on St Mark’s Square which gave him prominence amongst tourists who wanted mementos of the city. His main interest was in architectural photography and views of the Venetian lagoon. Portrait photography and his specialist skills in colour-retouching also helped give him a reliable income outside the tourist trade.

In the early 1880s Salviati, alongside some other Venetian photographers was sued by Carlo Naya (also represented in the Ruskin Collection) for selling and distributing Naya prints.