Untitled (Santa in small plane, shaking hands with man) c. 1950

Curator: Here we have an intriguing, undated photograph by Lucian and Mary Brown, currently held in the Harvard Art Museums. It's titled "Untitled (Santa in small plane, shaking hands with man)." Editor: It's strangely unsettling! The reversed tones give it an eerie, dreamlike quality, like a forgotten Christmas memory viewed through a negative. Curator: Indeed. The photograph depicts a man, presumably greeting Santa Claus who appears to have just exited a small airplane. Note the handshake – a gesture of exchange, of transaction, even? Editor: It's almost transactional. Santa, a figure often representing boundless generosity, now seems grounded, shaking hands against the backdrop of a private plane. It complicates the symbolism. Curator: It's a curious reversal of expectations. Perhaps, it reflects a shift in cultural values, the commodification of even the most sacred figures. Editor: The stark contrast and the slightly awkward staging certainly invites a critical eye toward how we frame generosity, particularly around the holidays. Something about the absence of context only adds to the potential interpretations of the photo. Curator: Absolutely, it prompts a re-evaluation of familiar narratives. Editor: Precisely. The image's ambiguity forces us to consider the ever-changing socio-political meanings we attach to our symbols.