Untitled (drum majorette, left knee up) c. 1950s

Editor: This is an untitled photo of a drum majorette by John Deusing. It feels like a snapshot, capturing a specific performance moment. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a photographic print, an object made through a specific process using particular materials. The ‘Kodak Safety’ inscription suggests mass production and the commodification of image-making. How does this context affect our understanding of the subject's performance and labor? Editor: So, it's less about the individual and more about the means of production? Curator: Precisely. The photograph itself is a product, and its material qualities—the paper, the chemicals, the printing process—shape our perception of the image and the labor it represents. It is a record of a moment, a performance, but also a testament to the technology of its creation. Editor: I never thought about photography that way before. It's a new way to view images!