The tone of this photograph is ambiguous; the old lady’s mask is at once comical and slightly eerie – behind the mask she could be smiling or grimacing. Arbus began work on a limited edition portfolio, 'A box of ten photographs', in 1969. Each portfolio included ten signed prints, but she made a special set for the legendary photographer Richard Avedon – a longstanding friend – including this picture as an extra print made for him alone. The photograph was made towards the end of Arbus’s life while she was still working on the prints for the portfolio. She only completed a small number in the edition before she died, which are now highly sought after.