Milk Warmer c. 1939

Editor: Here we have Edward Loper's "Milk Warmer," from around 1939, using watercolor, charcoal, and pencil. It’s quite a humble subject, isn't it? Almost mundane. What strikes you most about this work? Curator: Its ordinariness, paradoxically, becomes quite compelling when we consider the social and political landscape of the late 1930s. The Great Depression was still a lived reality for many, particularly for African Americans, for whom economic recovery lagged significantly. A utilitarian object like this speaks volumes about resourcefulness and making do. What do you make of that? Editor: That makes sense. The slight rust and wear also suggest a history of use, not wastefulness. Does that relate to how we see realism as a style? Curator: Precisely. Realism here isn't just about representing the object accurately. It becomes a quiet form of social commentary. Loper, as an African American artist working during a period of intense racial segregation and economic hardship, might be subtly highlighting the dignity of everyday labor and domestic life. How might ideas of race and labor intersect in this drawing? Editor: Well, owning and maintaining this milk warmer may reflect an act of resistance in the face of economic constraints, almost a celebration of domestic independence in a difficult social climate. Curator: Indeed. It prompts us to consider who had access to such a device and the stories embedded within its existence. How can the simple act of depicting it become political? Editor: By reminding us of those whose stories are often overlooked. I originally just saw a worn milk warmer but it speaks of the context of a specific period of US history, seen from the perspective of labor and domestic spaces!