A new exhibition at London's Estorick Collection reappraises the photography of sisters Wanda and Marion Wulz, who used their Trieste studio to carve out independence in fascist-era Italy at a time when women were largely confined to domestic roles. Curator Federica Muzzarelli argues the show restores Marion's standing as an equal creative partner rather than a mere assistant, while celebrating the pair's pioneering photomontage work, most famously Wanda's self-portrait fused with the family cat, Mucincina.

Born in Trieste in 1903 and 1905 respectively, the sisters inherited their father's photographic studio and used it to photograph dancers, sportswomen and cultural figures including painter Leonor Fini and Olympic fencer Irene Camber. In 1932 Wanda showed six works, including the cat photomontage "I + Cat", at the National Exhibition of Futurist Photography, using a 19th-century blending technique in a novel way to explore female identity and freedom; their Trieste apartment also became a hub for an informal circle of female artists, including designer Anita Pittoni.