Untitled (girl with flowers in hair stading by large bouquet of flowers) after 1940

This photograph, currently held at the Harvard Art Museums, was made by Paul Gittings using traditional photographic materials and processes. The photographic print presents a young girl adorned with flowers, standing beside a large bouquet. The artist, in controlling the exposure and development of the film, has captured a range of tones, from the deep blacks of the background to the soft greys of the girl's dress and the luminous whites of the flowers. Consider the work that has gone into the production of this image, from the labor involved in growing the flowers to the technical skill required to produce the photographic print. Traditional photography is a chemical process, which depends on the responsiveness of certain materials to light. This process is just as transformative as carving or weaving. By focusing on the materials and techniques involved in the making of this photograph, we can fully appreciate its cultural and social significance, and how photography can be considered alongside other crafts.