Untitled (members of the Moore/Stoll family) c. 1932

Curator: This is an intriguing, undated photograph taken by C. Bennette Moore. It’s titled simply "Untitled (members of the Moore/Stoll family)" and resides in the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: My first impression is a sense of casual intimacy despite the formality of the posed image. The negative space gives it an almost ghostly, ethereal quality. Curator: Precisely. Looking at it through a material lens, we see a clear photographic negative, likely made from a glass plate. The process itself, the darkroom alchemy, is integral to the final image. How available would such resources have been to the subjects of the image, perhaps even a form of social capital? Editor: Considering the context of family photography, the image operates within a specific social practice. Who were the Moore/Stoll families? What was their social standing that warranted such documentation? The act of posing itself suggests a desire for historical preservation, a curated presentation of self. Curator: I agree. The clothing, the backdrop, all contribute to constructing a very specific identity. We might even ask about the labor involved; who processed the photograph, and what biases might they have brought to the final print? Editor: Ultimately, it's a poignant reminder of how photography can both reflect and shape our understanding of the past, isn't it? Curator: Yes, revealing the layers of production and performance within a seemingly simple family portrait.