At the age of 28, Danish photographer Mary Steen opened her first photographic studio in Copenhagen. Steen specialised in portraiture and interior scenes. Her ability to capture sharp images in interior environments was particularly significant owing to the lack of electrical light available at the time. In 1888 Steen was chosen as the Danish court photographer and in 1896 she was appointed photographer to the Danish-born Alexandra, Princess of Wales (1844–1925) later Queen Alexandra.