The Bradley Studio opened in 1899, owned and operated by Harry C. Bradley (d. 1939) and his wife Maude May, who was also a photographer.

Originally a frontier military outpost, Fort Collins had a population of about 2,000 at the start of the 20th century. The local economy was based on sugar and sheep production. The city prohibited sales of alcohol after 1896 — a ban that was not lifted until 1969. Fort Collins boasted a railroad link, an Agricultural College, Women’s Clubs that fostered the study of literature, phone lines connecting as far away as Denver, and its own electrical power grid.

Christian missionaries returning from Japan occasionally gave presentations in Fort Collins; perhaps they brought along the children’s clothing and parasols. Whatever the source, it is interesting to note that Japonisme reached such a seemingly remote location in the American West.