Untitled (children at desks in classroom) c. 1950

Curator: This photograph, simply titled "Untitled (children at desks in classroom)," comes to us from Lucian and Mary Brown. The dimensions are a modest 10.16 x 12.7 centimeters. Editor: It has a haunting quality, doesn't it? The negative image and the rows of children all bent over their desks...it speaks of discipline and a certain uniformity. Curator: The composition certainly emphasizes repetition. Note the strict grid formed by the desks and the windows. This creates a visual rhythm. Editor: But the photograph also speaks to labor, the work of learning, the repetitive actions of writing, the social dynamics of the classroom and even the production of the image itself. Curator: Indeed, one could interpret the dark tonality as a metaphor for the weighty expectations placed upon these young students. Editor: It also looks like the desks and the building are made of wood. Someone had to fell those trees, transport, and construct these structures with the young people in mind. Curator: Seeing it through your lens, I am reminded that the children are being molded not only by knowledge but also by the very environment they inhabit. Editor: And that environment, that classroom, is itself a product of labor, materials, and a specific historical context.