Untitled (woman wearing strapless gown) c. 1950

Curator: This gelatin silver print, approximately 10 by 8 inches, is an untitled work by C. Bennette Moore, currently held at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: Oh, she's luminous! It's a study in light, like a modern-day Venus emerging, though the inversion makes it feel... spectral. Curator: Indeed. The photographic process itself, from the darkroom chemistry to the printing techniques, plays a crucial role in how we perceive this figure and the implied labor in producing such an image. Editor: It's captivating, how the reversal creates this sense of ethereality. I wonder what she was thinking; there is an undeniable intimacy between artist and model here. Curator: Considering the lack of a specific date, further research into Moore's body of work could reveal more about the societal conditions that informed its creation, perhaps the consumption of idealized femininity. Editor: Right, it’s got that 'Hollywood glam' feel. It almost feels like a dream, or maybe just a really, really good memory. Curator: Well, whatever it is, it seems this photo has sparked a new memory for both of us.