Untitled (woman with doll in baby carriage) c. 1940

Curator: This intriguing photograph, currently titled "Untitled (woman with doll in baby carriage)" is by John Deusing. Its small format—just about 5 by 4 inches—belies its unsettling impact. Editor: It gives me the chills. The stark contrast and unusual inversion make it seem like a ghostly memory. There's something undeniably eerie about the woman's blank stare and the lifeless doll. Curator: The doll is placed as a surrogate child, and the Christmas tree looming in the background could symbolize hope, or perhaps even a longing for domestic ideals. Deusing presents us with a complex arrangement. Editor: I wonder about the social commentary here. The doll, the carefully arranged setting... Is Deusing critiquing societal expectations of women in this era, their roles as mothers and homemakers? Curator: It's certainly possible. The photograph invites us to consider the psychological weight of those expectations, and the ways in which individuals might perform or subvert them. Editor: It makes you think about the public versus private self and how that plays out in photography of the era. Definitely something to contemplate further.