Untitled (six young men and women in costumes posing at party) 1950

Editor: This gelatin silver print by Martin Schweig shows a group of people in costume at what looks like a party. It’s… kind of unsettling, actually. There’s something eerie about the high contrast and the reversed tones. What do you make of it? Curator: Eerie is perfect! It’s like a ghostly masquerade. I see a deliberate theatricality, a staged moment of revelry captured in a way that feels both present and distant. The negative image amplifies that sense of removed observation. It’s a party, yes, but one seen through a glass, darkly. Editor: So, the photographic process itself contributes to the mood? Curator: Absolutely. It's not just a snapshot, it's a deliberate artistic choice. The reversal of light and shadow transforms a potentially mundane scene into something uncanny, something…memorable. It feels like a faded dream, doesn't it? Editor: It does. I’ll never look at a party photo the same way.