Engels meisje met pijpenkrullen in Zweeds klederdracht, vermoedelijk in Rusland 1903 - 1904

This curious photograph by Joseph Cheetham captures an English girl dressed in Swedish costume, likely taken in Russia. I imagine the journey this image has taken – the click of the shutter, the development process, the travel across borders. What was Cheetham thinking as he framed this shot? Perhaps he was intrigued by the layers of identity and performance. The girl, in her borrowed Swedish garb, stands against a makeshift backdrop, her gaze meeting the camera with a mix of shyness and pride. The tones are soft, almost dreamlike, and the details in her outfit—the embroidery on her vest, the pleats of her skirt—speak to a culture not her own. The costume becomes a way to explore identity, a playful experiment in crossing boundaries. Cheetham invites us to consider the fluidity of identity and the stories we tell through clothing and image. It's a reminder that artists, like travelers, are always borrowing, reinterpreting, and transforming the world around them.