John Charles Phillips, Jr, Methuen, Massachusetts (1838-1885) 1858

Editor: This is a portrait of John Charles Phillips, Jr. by John Adams Whipple. What strikes me is the formality, the sitter seems so serious. What do you see in it? Curator: The oval frame, the precise attire—these are symbols of societal expectation. It's a very typical mid-19th century portrait, yet do you notice the subject's gaze? It’s direct, almost challenging. What does that directness suggest to you? Editor: Maybe a desire to be seen, to be remembered in a particular way? Curator: Precisely. It makes me wonder about the image he wanted to project, and how that resonates even now. It is all about memory and self-representation. Editor: I hadn't thought about the power of such early photographic portraits that way. It feels so contemporary somehow.