Untitled (Woman with fake nose and glasses on runway) c. 1950s

Editor: So, here we have an untitled gelatin-silver print by an anonymous photographer, likely taken in the 1950s. The subject, a woman on what seems to be an airplane staircase, wears a very peculiar fake nose and glasses. There is a strange and playful feel to it. What is your interpretation? Curator: Ah, yes. The past sometimes speaks to us in whispers and wry grins, doesn't it? To me, this image hums with a quiet defiance, a touch of surrealist humor bubbling up from the buttoned-down 1950s. The anonymous subject's disguise— the fake nose and glasses—is, in itself, an intriguing form of performance. A rejection of expectations, perhaps? A quiet rebellion expressed through the language of disguise. What do you suppose she was trying to achieve? Editor: Maybe it’s a commentary on identity, or how easily appearances can be manipulated? The context of air travel is interesting too. Curator: Precisely! There is a very specific sense of optimism and expansion in the 1950s which is connected to technological advancements in aviation. However, for many women it might also mean performing identity for professional success. The woman has one hand placed high and it feels to me almost confrontational: I can just see her glancing at you saying, "Gotcha!" Or perhaps she simply wants to get up, up, and away into the heavens in disguise, an escape from mundane reality? Don’t we all dream of such a flight? Editor: That’s a lovely perspective, adding that element of dreams and aspiration. I initially saw it as almost a goofy, vintage photo. Curator: And that’s the joy of it! It contains both—the goofy and the profound, a delicate dance between seriousness and play. We are always both fools and wise. Editor: Thanks. I’ll definitely be seeing such vintage works through different eyes from now on!