Untitled (portrait of a woman, profile view) 1910

Curator: Oh, this is ethereal! It’s an untitled portrait of a woman, in profile, taken by Hamblin Studio. It’s held at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's blindingly white. I'm curious about the photographic process used here; the overexposure almost obliterates detail, turning lace into pure light. Curator: Yes, it’s as if she’s dissolving into another dimension. The lack of a specific date adds to the mystery. Was this intentional, or an accident in the darkroom? What statement were they making? Editor: Perhaps the Hamblin Studio was playing with the very limits of the medium. Think of the labor involved in those garments – the delicate lace now rendered as pure surface texture. Curator: It whispers of forgotten stories. I feel like I've seen her in a dream. It's a glimpse into a world just beyond our grasp. Editor: Exactly, and that world is built on real materials transformed by light and labor.