Untitled (women playing cards and wearing hats) 1948

Robert Burian made this photograph of women playing cards, using black and white film. This gathering depicts women in hats, likely middle-class, engaged in leisure. But what are the social and cultural factors in play here? Though undated, the image's visual codes offer clues. The hats and dress suggest a specific cultural performance of femininity while playing cards together may represent a challenge to traditional gender roles, or at least an expansion of them. Without more context, we can't be sure if this was a daring image, or simply a documentation of a common social scene. To properly understand the image, we need to delve into the specific social and institutional histories of photography. Consider the public role of photography at the time it was made. Was this a private photograph, or one intended for publication? By using resources such as period magazines, newspapers, and social club records, we can better understand the photograph. Remember, the meaning of art is contingent on its social and institutional context.