Untitled (women with large flag) c. 1915

Editor: This intriguing photo, "Untitled (women with large flag)" by Harris & Ewing, shows women working with what looks like an enormous flag inside a grand hall. The negative image gives it an ethereal quality. What do you make of this piece? Curator: It feels like a ghostly echo of a moment, doesn't it? The negative enhances that sense of distance. I’m curious about the scale – that flag seems impossibly large! Perhaps it was for a grand ceremony, now lost to time. Think about the labor involved, the communal effort... What could it symbolize in that context? Editor: The scale does give it a monumental feel, like they are part of something really important. Curator: Exactly! It is like they are weaving a piece of history. It makes you wonder about their individual stories, too, doesn't it? Editor: It certainly does; I'll be thinking about this one.