Untitled (Baptism) c. 1930s

This small, anonymous black and white photograph captures a baptism. Standing waist-deep in a body of water, a man in a suit places his hand on the head of a woman in a light-colored shirt. I’m thinking about the photographer, and I wonder what they were thinking when they made this. Maybe it’s about the relationship between the figures, how this gesture might communicate feelings, intentions, or meaning. This image, with its grainy texture, asks us to consider belief, ritual, and the transformative power of water. Photographers, like painters, build on a history of image-making. They’re in conversation across time, inspiring each other’s creativity. This photograph is an invitation to think about the relationship between making and seeing and to approach both with an open mind.