Untitled (McLellan's store interior) c. 1940

Curator: John Deusing's "Untitled (McLellan's store interior)" offers a peek inside a bygone era of retail. Editor: The high contrast and almost ghostly light give it an eerie, surreal quality, don't you think? Curator: Absolutely. I see it also as a study of consumer culture, capturing the stark geometry and repetitive displays of merchandise. McLellan's, like Woolworth's, democratized access to goods, but what was the cost? Editor: The image is undated, and McLellan’s was known as a segregated space. I can't help but wonder about who was, and wasn't, welcome in this scene. It's not just nostalgia; it's a loaded image. Curator: Yes, looking at it with that lens makes the whole scene feel more critical than celebratory, doesn't it? It is a reminder that even the most mundane scenes are ripe with social and historical context. Editor: Precisely. It’s a starting point for really important conversations.