Untitled (boy drinking from cola bottle in front of Christmas tree in living room) 1948

Editor: This is an untitled black and white photograph by Martin Schweig, showing a boy drinking a soda in front of a Christmas tree. The negative effect makes it feel eerie, almost ghostly. What can you tell me about it? Curator: Look closely at the material conditions presented: a mass-produced cola bottle, a decorated tree likely purchased or produced, and a child seemingly positioned for the camera. How does this tableau reflect post-war consumerism and the construction of domesticity through these objects? Editor: So, it’s less about the holiday and more about the stuff around it? Curator: Precisely. The materiality and its context tell a story about evolving social practices. It makes you think about the labor, production, and even the advertising that went into creating this very scene, doesn't it? Editor: I never would have considered it that way. Thanks!