During the early 20th century studio photographs were a fad for those who could afford them. When Australian police were confronted with a missing person, or missing friend, as they were called, they occasionally reprinted those studio photos to make tools for law enforcement, or possibly even for public display.
This particular shot shows missing friend Rene Flowers, a vaudeville performer, photographed with a “mascot” identified only as Taylor. The image appeared in Peter Doyle and Caleb Williams’ 2007 book City of Shadows: Sydney Police Photographs 1912-1948, and dates from 1929.