CDV portrait of a young girl, taken by the photographer Erika Nordin in Enånger. It dates to the 1910's. The girl's name is written on the back, but unfortunately no last name and Hilma was a common name back then so it has not been possible to find any more information about her. BUT I have been able to find another photo of her, from the archives of Enånger Hembygdsförening (the local historical society of Engånger, which holds many of the original glass plates made by Mrs. Nordin). Please check it out, because it seems to be taken with the girl's mother at the same occasion as this one (she has the exact same hair, shoes - and socks! but another dress):
www.genealogi.se/faktabanken/portraettfynd-ren-index/hael...
It also shows that the strong contrasts in this photo is probably not a coincidence, but there to highlight Hilma's white dress. I have seen many photos by Mrs. Nordin and she seems to have been a very competent photographer - and the only times she has taken photos with such stark contrasts is when the wearer is dressed in something strikingly white (something that was at a premium in the age before washing-machines).
Mrs. Nordin was born Erika Apollonia Brunlöf, in 1865, the daughter of an unmarried servant woman. She married the baker Lars Olof Nordin, two years her junior, in 1893. Her studio probably dates back to 1896 and she was active as a photographer up til the 1930's (she died in 1938), despite having two daughters (the daughter Tekla, who would eventually take over the atelier, in 1897 and Signe in 1902), building a studio attached to the family home - a house that once had belonged to her maternal grandfather, the local tailor.
I have two other old portraits by Mrs. Nordin -
www.flickr.com/photos/dameboudicca/8753051635/
www.flickr.com/photos/dameboudicca/8189591804/
And in the second one you can actually see the chair Hilma is standing on in this photo!
