Untitled (hibiscus floating in a glass) c. 1892 - 1905

Editor: Here we have Sarah Choate Sears's photograph, *Untitled (hibiscus floating in a glass)*. It’s bathed in a warm, sepia tone, giving it such a dreamlike quality. What resonates with you as you look at it? Curator: The hibiscus, often associated with delicate beauty and fleeting moments, is presented here with a deliberate stillness. The glass acts as both a protector and a lens, distorting and framing our view. Consider how this echoes the Victorian era's fascination with capturing and preserving beauty before its inevitable decay. Editor: So, it's about holding onto beauty? Curator: Perhaps, but also about the artifice inherent in that act. The hibiscus, isolated in the glass, becomes a symbol not just of beauty, but of a curated, almost controlled beauty. What do you make of the background foliage? Editor: It’s out of focus, like a memory fading. I hadn't considered the symbolism of control so directly before. Thanks! Curator: Indeed, these images often invite layered interpretations.