I was reminded at the exhibition Friday of this photo, which I bought a couple of years back at an antique shop in town. The woman behind the counter tried to talk me into buying a photo of a kid on a bicycle instead, claiming that I was crazy for wanting a photo of "those ugly women." Okay, so yeah, they're pretty stern looking, but 1) they told you expressly not to smile when they took your photograph, because it was Serious Business, and 2) I thought that added to the overall interest of the photo. I've often wondered who they were and what occasion prompted the photo session; they look alike enough that I could believe they were sisters, they look very Germanic in origin, and their dresses are very similar in style, but there's no backdrop, and there's no identifying marks on the photo except the studio, sadly.

At any rate, I've always liked it a lot and I thought you guys would like a look. I wonder if by putting it up here someone will recognize their relatives? Stranger things have happened, I suppose.