Photograph of the Grand Duchess Maria PAVLOVNA of Russia the Younger

Photography

Identifier2025.5.5.4.PH.OT.C1940.US

Author

Associated Press ( American, founded 1846)

Description

Photograph of Grand Duchess Maria PAVLOVNA of Russia registering under the Alien Registration Act of 1940, standing beside Frank MURRAY. The scene captures a procedural moment at a registration desk, where MURRAY appears to guide or supervise the fingerprinting process, his posture inclined toward the documents laid out before them. Maria PAVLOVNA is dressed in a tailored daytime. She wears a structured plaid jacket with defined lapels and a fitted silhouette, layered over a patterned blouse tied at the neck in a soft bow. The blouse features an floral print, adding a decorative contrast to the sobriety of the jacket. Her accessories include a small fascinator hat, set at an angle, composed of a shaped base encircled by a smooth band and finished with a delicate tulle veil that lightly frames the face. Her hair is neatly arranged beneath the hat, maintaining a controlled and elegant appearance.
Frank MURRAY is attired in a formal pinstripe suit with a crisp shirt and tie, reflecting the professional standards of a government official. His jacket is cut with broad shoulders and a structured line.

Maria PAVLOVNA the Younger (1890-1958) was a Russian grand duchess, the daughter of Grand Duke Paul ALEXANDROVICH, youngest son of Tsar Alexander II, and Princess Alexandra of Greece. A prominent figure in the Romanov exile community after the Russian Revolution, she lived in Europe and the U.S., where she worked as a fashion designer and wrote a memoir, Education of a Princess (1930).

The Alien Registration Act of 1940, or Smith Act, required non-citizen residents in the U.S. to register with the government and made it illegal to advocate for the violent overthrow of the government, often targeting suspected communists and leftists.
Frank MURRAY was a fingerprint expert for the U.S. Post Office Department in the 1940s, specializing in detecting mail fraud and forgery through advanced fingerprint analysis. His expertise helped solve numerous postal crimes, making him a key figure in forensic investigations during that era.

Material

Analog photography

Origin

vers 1940 San Francisco, United States

Dimensions

Length : 15 cm
Height : 24 cm