Studio portrait of two elegant young ladies reading a letter. Sydney, ca. 1875.

Albumen print photograph, carte de visite format, 101 x 64 mm (mount); verso with the back mark of ‘The Royal Studio, M. W. Greenfeld, Photographer, Artist in Oil, Water Colors & Crayons. 328, George Street, Sydney’, incorporating a vignette illustration of an artist’s palette; the print has some light surface rubbing in the upper section, but is otherwise in very good condition; the mount is slightly trimmed at the bottom edge.

A lovely full-length portrait of two fashionable young women – probably sisters, although they could equally be friends – posed so as to face one another, with one in full profile. Their gazes are both directed downwards at the letter which one of them is holding.