Xie with violin, 1876

Carroll was great friends with George William Kitchin, whom he knew from his student days. He frequently photographed the entire Kitchin family, especially Xie Kitchen whom he considered to be the best sitter. Cohen wrote "It is easy to see why, for she was a remarkably beautiful child, with straight classic features. And, evidently, she was patient and agreeable and enjoyed the whole tedious business of taking pictures. Artistically inclined herself, she must have appreciated what Dodgson strove to achieve in this relatively new art".