Costumes of Michaelenses, Azores, Portugal (barefoot woman standing, wearing long skirt with ruffles at hem and black shawl or short cape) c. 1880s

Editor: This is a photograph titled "Costumes of Michaelenses, Azores, Portugal" by A.J. Rapozo. It shows a barefoot woman in a long skirt and shawl. It feels very staged, almost like an anthropological study. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a powerful intersection of identity and representation. The “costume” isn’t just clothing; it's a visual marker deeply intertwined with cultural narratives of the Azores. Who gets to define and document these narratives, and for what purpose? Editor: So, it's not just a simple portrait? Curator: Exactly. The very act of photographing and labeling it as "costume" positions the woman as an object of study. Considering the lack of information about Rapozo, we need to ask how colonial power structures might be at play in shaping this image. Editor: That's a perspective I hadn't considered. It makes you wonder about the woman's own voice and agency. Curator: Precisely. It encourages us to question the photographer's gaze and the broader socio-political context in which this image was created and consumed. Editor: I’m leaving with so much more than I expected. Thanks!