Bashasha (left) and a friend. Studio Shehrazade, Saida, Lebanon, late 1950s. Hashem el Madani 2007

Editor: This is "Bashasha (left) and a friend," a photograph from the late 1950s taken by Hashem el Madani. It feels so intimate and almost rebellious. What strikes you about it? Curator: It's fascinating to consider this image within the socio-political context of 1950s Lebanon. Studio photography offered a space for self-expression, yet censorship and societal norms often dictated what was acceptable. Editor: So, this image might be challenging those norms? Curator: Precisely. The women's embrace, the studio backdrop, it all raises questions about public versus private identity, and the politics of representation within a specific historical moment. Editor: I see. It's more than just a picture; it's a statement. Curator: Indeed. And it prompts us to reflect on how we interpret images and the power they hold within their historical and cultural context.