Stockings c. 1938

Editor: Here we have "Stockings," a pencil drawing from around 1938 by H. Langden Brown. It’s quite simple, just a rendering of a single stocking. What's your read on this piece? Curator: Well, initially, it strikes me as a seemingly mundane object, a single stocking. However, isn't it interesting how everyday objects carry a hidden symbolic weight? What is a stocking beyond an article of clothing? Think of its presence in cultural rituals, fairy tales, or even darker narratives. Editor: So, you’re suggesting it might symbolize something more than just… stockings? Curator: Precisely! What does the stocking evoke for you, considering the period? We see realism at play here in the detail of its rendering. Note the soft folds and the way the artist captured its texture with just a pencil. Editor: I hadn't thought about it that way. It makes me consider femininity, domesticity…maybe even vulnerability given its association with underwear fashion. Curator: Indeed. In the late 1930s, fashion was evolving, with stockings becoming increasingly accessible, even intimate garments. A stocking represents cultural shifts surrounding the female form, social class, and perhaps even repressed desires. Do you feel a tension in this seemingly harmless image? Editor: I think I do. It is unexpected, perhaps even a subtle commentary embedded in this very normal and unprovocative subject matter? Thanks for unveiling that deeper level. Curator: And thank you for considering how something as ubiquitous as a stocking can also reflect the changing image, function, and place of women, of fashion, and consumerism within society. We should always pause to consider how commonplace things represent our culture!