Untitled (girl wearing hat, looking into mirror) c. 1950

Editor: This intriguing photographic print by Lucian and Mary Brown shows a girl in a hat looking into a mirror. The inverted tones give it a ghostly quality. What stands out to you? Curator: The process is key. This is a vintage gelatin silver print, a specific materiality. How did their access to photographic materials shape the image? Was this a common technology readily available, or a more exclusive practice tied to a certain social class? Editor: That’s a great point. It makes me consider who had access to creating and consuming images like this at the time. Curator: Exactly! Considering the means of production reshapes our understanding and appreciation of the artwork itself.