Historical Portrait
Anna and Natascha Rappo, Siberian Folk Dancers
Archive record
Portrait of sisters Anna and Natascha Rappo, Siberian folk dancers, photographed in San Francisco in 1899. Public domain historical photograph.
About this photograph
The archive identifies the subjects as sisters Anna and Natascha Rappo, Siberian folk dancers, photographed by Frederick H. Bushnell in San Francisco on 11 January 1899.
The portrait was made during a period when millions of people arrived in the United States, many from southern and eastern Europe. Studio portraits served two purposes in that movement: photographs made at home were left with relatives, while those made after arrival were posted back as proof of safe passage and employment.
The record offers no detail about the sisters' performances, their background in Siberia, how they came to San Francisco, or the length of their stay. The photographer's name appears in the record but nothing further is known about Bushnell or his studio from the materials provided.
The photograph is held by the Internet Archive and carries a California Revealed tag. That programme digitises holdings from libraries, archives, museums and historical societies across California, so the tag indicates where the item was digitised rather than where it originated.
Compiled from the catalogue record and reference notes on the formats and events involved. The archive record above is the primary source.
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