Untitled (family portrait in living room) c. 1945

Editor: This photographic print, "Untitled (family portrait in living room)" by Harris & Ewing, shows a family in what seems to be their living room. The contrast makes it a bit eerie. What stands out to you? Curator: I'm drawn to the material elements of this image. Consider the labor involved in producing the clothing, the furniture, the photograph itself. It speaks to a certain level of comfort and consumption. What does the family’s pose suggest about social expectations around image making and display? Editor: It feels staged. The backdrop is generic, and the family is very formal. Curator: Precisely. The photograph becomes a commodity, reflecting aspirations and potentially obscuring the realities of the family's life. How does the act of portraiture become a form of material culture? Editor: That makes me see it differently. I hadn't considered the photograph as a material object, but it clearly represents a constructed reality. Curator: Indeed. Thank you. Editor: It was my pleasure.