Untitled (cars and buildings on main street) 1927

Editor: Here we have an untitled photograph by Hamblin Studio, showing cars and buildings on a main street. It's a simple, stark image. What can you tell me about it? Curator: Note the A&P Food Stores signage and the repetition of vehicles. This points to the rise of mass production and consumption. How does the photographic process itself contribute to this idea of reproducibility and standardization? Editor: That's interesting. I hadn't considered how the medium itself reflects the message. Curator: Exactly. Think about the labor involved in both creating the image and the goods being advertised. It’s a snapshot of a very particular social structure. Editor: It gives me a lot to think about regarding how we connect art to broader economic forces. Curator: Indeed, materiality and social context are intertwined.