A young woman holds her baby brother high. Olive Branch Mission, Chicago. 1999

Curator: This photograph is part of a series by Donna Ferrato, taken in 1999. It's called "A young woman holds her baby brother high. Olive Branch Mission, Chicago," a gelatin silver print, so we're seeing a classic monochrome palette here. Editor: Immediately, it strikes me as a study in resilience. There's a tenderness and strength radiating from the young woman; a kind of ordinary heroism, wouldn’t you say? The way she holds her brother aloft—there’s a weight there, both literal and metaphorical. Curator: Absolutely. Ferrato’s work is deeply embedded in social realism, often focusing on marginalized communities and families facing hardship. The Olive Branch Mission in Chicago served people experiencing poverty, and her images aim to bring their stories to a wider public. Editor: And it makes you wonder about the untold narratives behind the image: What are their living conditions like? What dreams does the sister hold? What kind of future awaits that child? The setting seems modest, but the human spirit fills the room, creating an intimate moment that counteracts anonymity. Curator: The black and white intensifies that feeling, stripping away any distraction and concentrating on the faces and expressions. You get the sense that this simple image could have complex symbolic power. The mission provided assistance with basic needs but was also invested in creating a community where, to cite its statement, people were “strengthened from the inside out.” Editor: Ferrato really captures that tension: the hardship coupled with unwavering strength. In that respect it goes beyond capturing a mere moment in time, inviting consideration of some basic moral and societal themes related to mutual aid. Curator: Agreed. The framing makes all the difference too. The contrast of the darker backdrop versus her bright shirt...everything keeps pulling you to the mother and the boy. Editor: These black and white photographs continue to have such great currency. They remind us of an important obligation to not just acknowledge those unlike ourselves but actively imagine them too. Curator: In its quiet, unwavering stance, I find myself profoundly impacted by the starkness of what this image shares.