Frances and Mary Allen of Deerfield, Massachusetts, were acclaimed photographers of children. They noted in a letter published in the March 1894 journal The Photo-Beacon: “We usually have better success with children who are not too highly civilized, or too conventionally clothed, or who are too young to be conscious. We give them a general idea of the picture we want, and then let them alone until they forget about us and the drop catches an unconscious pose. They consider it a game, and are always ready to play at it.”