
"The Letter." New York, 1906. Studio portrait of the Gerson sisters in costume for the Crinoline Ball. 8x10 glass negative by Gertrude Käsebier. View full size.
The lovely gowns on these sisters remind me of paper dolls I had as a child, with Victorian costumes based on fashions found in Harper's Bazaar. I remember the dolls' names: Beatrice, Caroline, and Abigail (which happens to be my name).
Two of the three Gerson sisters one being married to American painter William Merritt Chase. The home of the Gerson sisters, Virginia, Minnie, and Alice composed something of an artist's salon in the late 19th century.