Untitled (people sitting and standing at large banquet) c. 1940

Curator: Here we have an untitled photograph by Durette Studio depicting people at a banquet. The gelatin silver print measures roughly 8 by 10 inches. Editor: The long tables disappearing into the distance, the rows of faces, it’s a scene of formal, almost oppressive, social gathering. Curator: Observe how the strong horizontal lines of the tables and the receding perspective draw the eye, creating a sense of depth, yet the faces remain rather static. Editor: And consider the context. The uniformity of dress, the portraits on the walls—it all speaks to a very particular social class and their rituals of gathering and display. What stories might remain untold by these carefully positioned individuals? Curator: Perhaps the photograph's lack of a specific title is an intentional opening—a suggestion of the universality of such events, regardless of the particulars. Editor: I suppose that the rigid composition also reflects how social structures are themselves constructed, and the implicit power dynamics that such gatherings demonstrate. Curator: Indeed. The interplay of light and shadow adds to the somber mood. Editor: For me, it’s an invitation to question the narratives we construct around belonging and exclusion.