Untitled (two men standing next to bust) 1951

Curator: This photograph, by Peter James Studio, is titled "Untitled (two men standing next to bust)." It’s a gelatin silver print, measuring about 5 by 4 inches, and it’s part of the Harvard Art Museums collection. Editor: My first impression is striking—the contrasting outfits and the bust create an almost theatrical setup. You have this tension between formality and something much more casual. Curator: Absolutely. The figures, flanking the bust, evoke the role of portraiture in memorializing figures of authority, perhaps even questioning it through juxtaposition. Editor: Yes, and look at the materiality of the photograph itself—the way the light bounces off the surface. I am curious about the printing process, and the role it plays in mediating the image. Curator: Considering the social context of portraiture at the time, it might speak to accessibility and the shifting means of representation. It is not so much about the subject but the viewer's encounter with power. Editor: It certainly shifts my focus. What at first appeared to be a simple portrait becomes an examination of material culture and social meaning. Curator: Precisely. It really invites us to consider how photography reshapes our understanding of history and power.