Baby Coat c. 1937

Editor: This is "Baby Coat," a pencil drawing on paper from around 1937, by Ray Price. It's a delicate sketch; the coat appears almost ghostly on the toned paper. What kind of story do you think this piece tells? Curator: For me, this simple sketch speaks volumes about the unseen labor often shouldered by women. Consider the historical context: 1937. The Great Depression still gripping many. A handmade baby coat wasn't merely clothing, it was an act of love, necessity, and profound resourcefulness. The precise pencil work, the attention to detail – each stitch rendered in graphite – it hints at the countless hours poured into its creation. Editor: So, you see the coat as a symbol of that kind of domestic labor? Curator: Absolutely. And I encourage us to consider this beyond sentimentality. Garments, particularly those made for children, are carriers of memory, witness to intimate moments of care and growth. Whose hands stitched this? What dreams did they have for the child who would wear it? The quiet stillness of the sketch asks us to consider those unacknowledged contributions. Does it make you think about those kinds of stories at all? Editor: It does now. I hadn’t initially considered the socioeconomic implications of hand-making something like this. I just saw it as…sweet. Curator: Precisely! It's the 'sweetness' that often obscures the complex realities woven into these everyday objects. Seeing through this lens reveals a richer, more nuanced history, and how class is represented even within families. Editor: I never thought of a simple drawing like this holding so much meaning. Thank you for pointing out that other story; I feel I see it a little differently. Curator: And hopefully, we'll never look at seemingly simple images the same way again! There's always a context.