Untitled (portrait of a young man in uniform) 1910

Curator: Looking at this image, I’m struck by how ethereal it seems. Almost like an apparition. Editor: Right? At first glance, the high contrast and tonality suggests, perhaps, a ghostly figure emerging from, or dissolving into light. The Hamblin Studio created this photographic portrait of a young man in uniform. Curator: I’d say it's the lack of clear context, not knowing exactly when or why this portrait was taken, that gives it that otherworldly feeling. Editor: I see it more in terms of production. Early photographic processes involved a lot of labor, from preparing the chemicals to posing for extended periods in bright light. Think about the material conditions that brought this image into being. Curator: Perhaps we're both right. It's haunting because it makes us confront absence, the gap of history, and the labor that’s since been consumed by time. Editor: Absolutely. This image, with its strong presence and equally potent absence, speaks volumes about the relationship between representation and reality. Curator: Indeed. It lingers in the mind, inviting us to ponder not just who he was, but who we are in relation to him.