Untitled (portrait of young woman in lacy hat, flowers to her side) c. 1940

Paul Gittings created this photographic portrait of a young woman in a lacy hat, of unknown date. The image conjures the world of high-society portraiture, a genre made popular by photographers like Edward Steichen, especially in their work for magazines such as Vogue and Vanity Fair. Here, the sitter’s direct gaze, fashionable hat, and floral embellishments speak to a culture of luxury and celebrity, which was emerging at the time photography was becoming more enmeshed in mass media. What is missing however is the celebrity status and context. The photo is an anonymous image and a modern negative, hinting at a different social context. To better understand this image we could explore the history of fashion photography and the rise of celebrity culture in the 20th century. And perhaps, by exploring the archive of Paul Gittings we will gain a more nuanced understanding of the image’s social context. Art historians are detectives, looking for clues.