Untitled (performers on stage, crowd watching) c. 1950

Editor: This gelatin silver print by Peter James Studio depicts performers on stage. The negative image gives it a strange, ethereal quality. What can you tell me about the production of this image? Curator: The negative printing process itself is part of the story. Consider the labor involved in staging the performance, and the photographer's role. How might these social contexts influence our understanding? Editor: That's interesting; I hadn't thought about it that way. Curator: The materials—the gelatin, silver, the camera itself—are all products of specific industries and economies. These aren't neutral choices. Editor: So, the act of making the photograph is as important as what it depicts? Curator: Precisely! The materiality and production of this object opens a whole new way of analysis. Editor: That makes me see the image in a new light. Thanks!