Vintage real photograph of a young woman in a Red Cross style nurse costume (white bonnet tied under the chin, apron, and an armband with a cross) dabbing her face with a powder puff while holding a hand mirror, posed against a dark studio backdrop. She appears to be an actress in costume; the sitter is unidentified. The back carries the purple rubber stamp of the London studio Foulsham & Banfield, Ltd. Measures about 4.2 x 5.9 inches. Condition: silvering at the edges, scattered spots and corner wear; please see photos.

The back stamp reads in full: "No fee is payable for the reproduction of this photograph, provided that it is acknowledged. Photographed by:- Foulsham & Banfield, Ltd, 49 Old Bond Street, W." The wording suggests the print was issued for publication.

Foulsham & Banfield were a West End portrait studio known for theatrical portraits. The photograph appears to date from the Edwardian or WWI era. A charming staged image bringing together nursing, the stage and an early 20th century beauty ritual.