Untitled (man and boy posing in studio) c. 1940

Curator: This is an untitled studio photograph by John Deusing depicting a man and a boy. The print measures about 5 by 4 inches and resides in the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: The striking contrast of the negative image immediately gives me a sense of unease, almost like a ghostly presence. The formal attire amplifies the somber mood. Curator: Studio portraiture in this era was often a symbol of social status, a way for families to project a certain image. The backdrop here attempts to evoke affluence and the trappings of wealth. Editor: Yet, the inverted tones disrupt that entirely. The image questions the power structures embedded in such displays of bourgeois convention. It makes me wonder about the subjects' actual relationship. Curator: It's a fascinating disruption, isn't it? Deusing, likely unconsciously, captured a moment where the very performance of class is destabilized by the photographic process. Editor: Absolutely. This subversion offers us a lens through which to examine the constructed nature of identity and its inherent fragility. Curator: Indeed. This seemingly simple photograph reveals so much about the societal pressures and hidden anxieties of its time. Editor: I agree. This inverted image prompts deeper introspection about representation and reality.