Untitled (wedding party) c. 1910

Curator: This is an untitled photograph by Martin Schweig, found at the Harvard Art Museums, which depicts a wedding party. Editor: It feels like a glimpse into another world, a bit sepia-toned and dreamy. Everyone's so formal. Curator: Right. The formality speaks to the social conventions of the time, a period where photography was becoming more accessible but still retained a sense of occasion. You see that in the staging and composition. Editor: And those hats! They’re practically sculptures. It really says something about the amount of labor and skill that went into creating even everyday items. Curator: Exactly. The photographic process itself, the choice of sepia toning, it all points to a specific set of material conditions and aesthetic choices, a desire for permanence and timelessness. Editor: It's kind of funny how timeless it seems, even though you can tell by the outfits exactly when it’s from. It's an interesting capture of a cultural moment. Curator: Indeed, a moment meticulously crafted through both social practice and material process. Editor: Seeing this has definitely given me food for thought.