Woman c. 1900

Joseph T. Keiley captured this photograph, titled "Woman," using the photogravure technique. Note the hat adorned with feathers. This isn’t merely a fashion statement; it’s a symbol of status and perhaps even a nod to the ancient associations of feathers with deities and celestial beings. We see echoes of this motif in Renaissance paintings, where angels are depicted with feathered wings, signifying their divine status and connection to the heavens. Yet, here, the feathers take on a more earthly, ambiguous quality. The collective memory embedded in such symbols creates a complex tension, a dance between aspiration and reality, celestial and terrestrial. This echoes the psychological complexity of human identity, always in flux, always layered with historical and cultural meanings.