Untitled (group posing inside with church backdrop) c. 1945

Curator: This is an untitled photograph by John Deusing, part of the Harvard Art Museums collection. It's a silver gelatin print, measuring about 8 by 10 inches, showing a group posed in front of a church backdrop. Editor: The high contrast immediately gives it a ghostly, almost unsettling feel, doesn't it? The reversal of light and dark creates a strange tension. Curator: Exactly. Considering the labor involved in staging and printing such a photo, from mixing chemicals to developing the image, it speaks to the social importance of documenting group identities and communal events. Editor: I agree. The uniformity in dress, the formal poses – it suggests a very specific kind of group identity, maybe a church auxiliary or a women's society. There's a real sense of collective identity being constructed. Curator: The careful orchestration of the image is undeniable. It seems Deusing was making a clear statement about the role of the church in the community. Editor: Indeed. I find myself wondering about the absent context, the unspoken narratives of these women. Curator: It gives us a new appreciation for the materiality of photography as a social practice, documenting the narratives of these women. Editor: Yes, it reminds us that photographs are never just neutral records; they are active participants in shaping social narratives.