Untitled (woman in beaded dress with daughter) 1915

Editor: Here we have an untitled photograph from the Hamblin Studio, showing a woman in a beaded dress with her daughter. The image appears to be a photographic negative, and has a ghostly feel. What can you tell me about it? Curator: This negative offers a glimpse into the performative nature of early 20th-century portraiture. The studio setting, the woman's elaborate dress – likely chosen or provided by the studio – and the carefully posed mother and daughter reveal how photography shaped social identities. The Hamblin Studio played a role in constructing and disseminating these ideals. Editor: So it's less about capturing reality and more about creating an image? Curator: Precisely. The photograph serves as a social document, reflecting the values and aspirations of the time. We can study the studio's role in shaping photographic representation of women and children.