C.J. Busk, according to information in the letters from his son, 'was for some time member of the Legislature for Cape Town, in Bishop Crags, and Sir G. Grey's governorship and subsequently'. He is mentioned as sitting as a member of the Legislative Council for the Western District in 'The Cape of Good Hope Commercial Directory and General Business Guide for 1868', Cape Town : Saul Solomon and Co., (the earliest edition in the Royal Commonwealth Society Library). He was also presumably a partner in the firm of Eaton, Busk and Co. (Y3059A/5), earlier MacDonald, Busk and Co. Since he lived outside Cape Town (Y3059A/23), it has not proved possible to trace much information about him in the commercial directories. Although the quality of the photographic work is very variable, the collection is important as the work of an early amateur in South Africa, the architectural views in particular being of historical importance.

The process used by Busk was the wet collodion process, with the exception of one photograph (Y3059A/50) which was taken on wax paper (that is, using a paper negative impregnated with wax for transparency during the printing process). Some of the stereoscopic views in the collection represent a foray into professional photography, being advertised as a set of 36 cards entitled 'Of the Land we Live in' in the 'South African Advertiser and Mail' of June 1863. Many of these cards are dated 28 January 1863 in C.J. Busk’s hand on the reverse of the mounts.