Untitled (full length portrait of boy on tricycle) 1880s - 1890s

Editor: This is an untitled photograph by Otis A. Taft, showing a boy on a tricycle. It's captivating! What story do you think this image tells, considering it comes from a time when photography was becoming more accessible? Curator: I see a carefully constructed image, reflecting the emerging commercialization of photography. Notice the studio backdrop, the boy’s elaborate outfit. The tricycle, a new consumer product, becomes a symbol of burgeoning industrial production and class aspiration. The photograph itself is a commodity, meant to be purchased and displayed. Editor: So, it's not just a portrait, but also a document of material culture? Curator: Precisely. It reveals how photography, labor, and consumerism were intertwined, shaping identities and social values. What does this reveal about changing notions of childhood and status? Editor: Fascinating! I never thought about photography this way before.