Helen Sears (in bonnet) 1892 - 1894

Curator: Immediately, I'm drawn to the texture. It’s such a soft image, all in tones of grey, and the fabrics in particular seem almost palpable. Editor: Indeed. This is "Helen Sears (in bonnet)" by Sarah Choate Sears. Sears, born in 1858, moved comfortably within elite social circles and began exhibiting her photography around 1899. This gelatin silver print exemplifies her work. Curator: It really is interesting how a society portrait translates through the lens of a female artist. One really starts to consider how the bonnet itself would have been constructed and the labor involved in creating such finery. Editor: Absolutely. The very act of photographing, of capturing and preserving this image, speaks to the social rituals of the upper class and their engagement with art institutions and patronage. Curator: Agreed, and thinking about gelatin silver prints, it's fascinating how a technique so reliant on industrial materials like gelatin could be used to represent this subject. Editor: It makes me think about the complex interplay of class and technology in shaping photographic practices. Curator: Exactly. It is so interesting to consider the economic and social forces behind even a seemingly straightforward portrait.