Untitled (portrait of a team with rackets) 1943

Curator: Here we have John Deusing's "Untitled (portrait of a team with rackets)," held at the Harvard Art Museums. The image measures roughly 8 by 10 inches. Editor: My first impression is that this image looks like an eerie negative, with these young men holding tennis rackets, almost like weapons. Curator: Indeed. Consider the context of amateur sports at institutions like Harvard. Sports teams cultivate a sense of institutional pride and promote the idea of a socially cohesive elite. Editor: And look at the uniformity of their attire. The crisp white pants, the dark shirts—it speaks to the standardization of leisure itself. Even their rackets, tools of their sport, are identical. Curator: The man in the suit stands apart, maybe the coach or a faculty advisor, embodying the institutional support of this team. He legitimizes their activity. Editor: I am struck by the materiality. This is not some perfectly staged, glossy promotional photo. It reveals something rawer about the construction of this image and their social standing. Curator: Agreed. It captures more than just a team; it reflects the societal structures at play. Editor: Absolutely. It reveals how even in recreation, class and control are so visibly woven into the picture.