Untitled (woman in fur stole, hat, and corsage with daughter in hat and coat) c. 1940

This is a photographic image by Paul Gittings, of a woman in a fur stole, hat, and corsage, with her daughter in a hat and coat. As a process, photography is inextricably tied to industrialization. The camera itself is a manufactured product, of course. But more profoundly, the entire system of photographic production rests on a complex division of labor. Glass plates, coated with light-sensitive emulsion, require not only specialized knowledge, but also an industrial supply chain to deliver chemicals and equipment. Here, the subjects' clothing bears witness to similar economies, particularly the labor-intensive fur stole. It is a potent symbol of status and access. By contrast, the photographic process, once the domain of specialists, became increasingly available to amateurs over the course of the 20th century. Photography challenges traditional notions of craft, inviting us to consider how mechanized processes become powerful tools for representation.