Untitled (class photo, Columbia Prep.) 1947

Curator: This photo, taken by Harris & Ewing, captures the graduating class of Columbia Prep. The image is simply titled "Untitled (class photo, Columbia Prep.)." Editor: It has a rather ghostly feel, doesn't it? The high contrast and the uniformity of the dress...it feels almost spectral. Curator: Precisely. It invites us to consider the systems at play. These young men, likely from privileged backgrounds, are being molded and prepared for specific roles in society. The materiality of their matching coats speaks to that enforced uniformity. Editor: I'm struck by how the architecture mirrors their own constructed identities. The building itself seems to enforce the same rigid structure that’s seen in the rows of young men before it. Curator: And the date over the doorway, "1811," serves as a constant reminder of the weight of tradition and expectation. It becomes a social narrative of power, and the creation of an elite. Editor: Understanding the photographic process and materials of the time enriches the reading. It's not just a snapshot; it's a constructed representation, deliberately posed to convey a certain image. Curator: A fascinating intersection of history, identity, and the material realities of its creation. Editor: Indeed. It urges us to examine the stories we tell ourselves about education, privilege, and the making of social elites.