Two girls reading a letter in Sweden
By: usermattw
Tags: antiques, CDV, photography, Uppsala, vintage photography
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Nothing much to say about this one except that it’s charming, and I hope the two young ladies here (sisters? friends?) were happy with it. This is one of those photos that’s the size of a carte de visite, but has the heft and gloss of a cabinet card, so I’m never quite sure what to call it. The photographer is a woman named Sigrid Wågman in Uppsala, Sweden (Upsala is apparently an archaic spelling of Uppsala.) More samples of her work can be found here. Below is the back (click to enlarge).
Pics of Then 
This is a particularly nice portrait because of the affection between the two girls. The one seated looks a little younger, maybe 13-14. The one standing could be her older sister.
I’ve also wondered what to call European portraits from the early 1900s that were printed on a mount slightly larger than a CDV. They don’t seem to have been made in the USA or UK. I’ve seen examples from Scandinavia, Germany and Russia.
The portraits by Sigrid Wågman at the DigitaltMuseum are quite good.
Yes, the letter is more than just a prop, it is being used as if to tell a story, which is fun. I assume the letter is meant to be just, say, news from a distant relative, but the older girl has the air of an affectionate chaperone, which make it almost feel like the letter is from somebody more dear to the younger girl’s heart.
And I’m glad I’m not the only one who doesn’t quite know what to call these cards! If you find a good answer, please let me know.