Untitled (head shot of unidentified child) 1874 - 1892

Curator: Here we have an "Untitled (head shot of unidentified child)" created by Allen & Rowell, currently residing in the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: The sepia tones lend it such a poignant, antique feel. It's surprisingly intimate. Curator: Right, and consider portraiture's role within a socio-political context. Photography became a powerful tool for documenting and, in many ways, standardizing identity, particularly of children within a burgeoning, industrializing society. Editor: The composition, with the soft, almost blurry focus around the child's head, directs all attention to the eyes, the precise center. The symmetry is also important. Curator: Indeed, it echoes notions of idealization, but also control. The child's gaze, though direct, carries a weight of expectation, perhaps even the burden of representation. Editor: Seeing how the light interacts with the smooth surface of the mount, I’m struck by the craftsmanship, the texture. It elevates the subject. Curator: And it invites us to consider the layers of meaning that are embedded in something as seemingly simple as a child's photograph. Editor: Absolutely. A quiet, but complex piece.