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Take your last photo for example
This Bonsai is not the result of poor technique, or evolving techniques, but it is in a dramatically different style to that we are used to in the UK certainly. It also does not resemble any known tree I would recognise and therefore is not being constrained by Bonsai styling rules
Although these are clearly old photos I dont think it is the case that it is just the fashion of the time, these exist even now in this kind of style in Japan, but you wont find such styling easily In the UK certainly, so for us it becomes either "Not Bonsai", or "Old style", nether of which is correct in my view.
It is also not a function of developing techniques or tools, I have a tree just like this "A Prunus Mume" sourced from Japan and rarely seen in the UK and to be honest in my experience it confuses people as it does not conform to what they expect of a Bonsai, " a mini tree in a pot"
The point I am making here is we have become somewhat rigid in what we expect of a Bonsai, even so called Modern styling and excess of carving is rejected by many
Dont get me wrong, I also really like the artistry demonstrated in creating something small, that looks like an aged and larger tree, its a real art to create that. But so is literati (few can successfully achieve it) and also the modernistic and creative styling achieved often with carving which often do not resemble a tree at all.
Again the question posed was "Do we refine our bonsai too much?" with these photos used to suggest that in the past they did not as much as we do now, but that is to miss a much more important point...... In my view:)
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