Untitled (young boy posed sitting in chair with ball) 1957

Editor: This photograph, simply called *Untitled (young boy posed sitting in chair with ball)* by Martin Schweig, shows a child in what looks like a living room. It’s a very domestic scene, but there’s something about the staging that feels a little stiff. What do you make of it? Curator: Well, considering this is a photographic negative, and given the lack of identifying information, it prompts us to consider the broader role of images in constructing and preserving memory, and the politics inherent in who gets to be seen and remembered. What does this seemingly commonplace image reveal about the social values of its time, and about our own assumptions as we view it today? Editor: That’s interesting! So, beyond the surface, it's about who controls the narrative? Curator: Precisely. And how the everyday, like this image, contributes to that narrative. Editor: I never thought of it that way. It's more than just a kid in a chair. Curator: Exactly. It’s a reminder of the power of images to shape our understanding of history and society.