Untitled (men and woman next to long table) 1956

Editor: This photograph, "Untitled (men and woman next to long table)" by Peter James Studio, is a small gelatin silver print. I’m struck by the formality of the figures juxtaposed with what looks like a display of jazz records. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The photograph makes me think about the intersections of race, class, and cultural expression. The figures, seemingly middle- to upper-class, are engaging with jazz, a music form rooted in the Black experience. Does this encounter feel celebratory or appropriative? Editor: I hadn't considered that tension. The image now feels more complex, less straightforward. Curator: Exactly. It raises questions about who has access to culture and whose stories are being told.