Untitled (close up portrait of man in fedora and wool suit) c. 1940

This close-up portrait of a man in a fedora and wool suit was made by Paul Gittings with gelatin silver print. This work, with its sharp focus on the man’s attire, connects to a rich history of portraiture as a tool for constructing social identity. The image creates meaning through recognizable visual codes. The fedora and wool suit evoke a specific era, likely the mid-20th century in the United States, a time when such clothing was associated with sophistication and respectability, particularly among men in business or entertainment. The institutional history of photography also plays a role; portrait studios like Gittings' catered to a clientele seeking to project a certain image. Was it progressive at the time? Probably not; it's an assertion of traditional masculine identity. To fully understand this image, we might look at fashion trends, the history of portrait photography, and the social expectations of men during that period. Only then can we understand what it meant to present oneself in this way.