Burton was born in
Leicester, England. His father, John Burton, was a photographer and his firm was called John Burton and Sons. Burton and his three brothers also did photography. His brother
Walter John Burton emigrated to New Zealand first and after being inundated with work requested Alfred join him, and in 1868 he did. The business was renamed
Burton Brothers. Alfred Burton travelled in New Zealand taking landscape images for the business including
Fiordland, the
Southern Lakes and
South Westland. After the destruction of the New Zealand tourist attraction the
Pink and White Terraces in 1886 Burton took new photos, his 'before and after' shots were useful to researchers. Burton continued practicing with the Burton Brothers business in the 1880s but had stopped by 1889. The business continued and prospered from a demand for postcards in the early 1900s. Burton came ninth in the three-member electorate in the . Burton died in 1914. ==References==