Untitled (school girls in uniform, studying in library) 1937

Curator: It's an absolutely beautiful, almost dreamlike study of young women in a library—an untitled piece attributed to Harris & Ewing, captured in silver gelatin print. The light is stark. Editor: Immediately, I am struck by the image's symmetry. The books, the girls in uniform, the architecture—everything seems carefully arranged to evoke balance and order. It's a very calming scene. Curator: I find it interesting that they are all actively engaged with books and newspapers. It speaks to a hunger for knowledge, or perhaps a quiet rebellion through education? Editor: Precisely. The act of reading, especially for women in uniform, carries so much symbolic weight. It defies expectations and asserts intellectual power. There's a narrative here about access and empowerment. Curator: I love how it feels both classic and timely, and the way the negative reverses our expectations. Editor: And the way the light catches on those rows of books… It transforms a simple library into a beacon of possibility.