Untitled (portrait of young man in herringbone suit looking right) after 1940

This gelatin silver print, by Paul Gittings, captures a young man in a herringbone suit. The image itself, a product of darkroom alchemy, carries social weight. Photography, even in its early days, democratized portraiture. No longer was it solely the domain of the wealthy to have their likeness captured, but through the repeatable process of photography, a portrait became accessible to a broader segment of society. Note the subject's attire: a herringbone suit. The textile's twill weave speaks of industry, mass production, and a striving for middle-class respectability. Gittings’s photograph, therefore, isn't just a simple portrait; it's a study in aspiration, expertly framed and printed. It’s a window into a world where the tools of art and industry converge, reflecting the values and desires of a changing society.