Untitled (woman in formal dress standing at end of long table in formal room) after 1929

This photograph of a woman in formal dress in a formal room was made by Paul Gittings. In a time when photography was emerging as a powerful tool for social documentation, Gittings instead focused on portraiture and commercial photography, catering to a specific class. Here, the woman's dress, the ornate decorations, and the very composition of the photograph speak to wealth and status. The image itself becomes a commodity, reinforcing existing social hierarchies. To understand the full impact of Gittings' work, we might look to archives of commercial photography, social registers, and historical accounts of wealth and class in the United States during the mid-20th century. These resources can help us understand how photography played a role in shaping and reinforcing social identities, as well as its impact on the art world.