Untitled (large family portrait in living room) c. 1950

Editor: Here we have an untitled family portrait by Lucian and Mary Brown. It's a modest-sized photograph, and something about its formality strikes me. What can you tell us about the context of such a picture? Curator: It's fascinating how staged family portraits like this became a middle-class aspiration, reflecting social mobility. The backdrop, the clothing, even the dog, are carefully positioned. How do you think the family wanted to be perceived? Editor: I suppose as respectable and upwardly mobile. It’s interesting to consider how photography played into shaping social identities and norms. Curator: Exactly. It makes you wonder about the power dynamics inherent in image making, doesn't it? We are all being conditioned by these images. Editor: Absolutely, it gives me a lot to think about!