Woman--People 1941 - 1945

Editor: Here we have Robert Frank's "Woman--People," a gelatin-silver print made sometime between 1941 and 1945. It's a simple portrait, but the woman's warm smile is very engaging. What draws your eye when you look at this photograph? Curator: As a materialist, I'm interested in how the limitations and possibilities of the gelatin-silver process during that era shaped the final product and how it reflected social conventions. The photograph becomes an artifact that can illustrate production means as well as contextual consumption. Editor: Could you elaborate on that? Curator: Consider the cost and accessibility of photographic materials during the Second World War. Who had access to the technology? What kinds of narratives were these images usually meant to represent? Look at the backdrop, and the styling -- do you think this photo was taken in a commercial studio, or rather, at someone's home? Editor: It feels more intimate, not so posed, like a home setting maybe. It almost seems accidental. So you're saying that even the material choices and how photography was used at that time, influenced who was being photographed, and the setting chosen, thus shaping the photograph’s social statement? Curator: Precisely. This portrait may capture more than just an individual, but also reflects on the power of portraiture and image creation within social classes of that period. Perhaps this 'everyday' woman could represent those who typically remain unseen in popular historical narratives. Editor: I never considered how the accessibility of photography itself could influence the story being told. That's really changed my view of this piece. Curator: Exactly. Considering such portraits as products, highlights labor and its impact on the artwork itself.