Untitled (Group of men and youth including Negritos from the Philippine Exhibit, Louisiana Purchase Exposition, 1904 World’s Fair, St. Louis), 1904

Curator: Jessie Tarbox Beals, a pioneering photojournalist, captured this image, simply titled "Untitled," likely at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis. It features a group including Negritos from the Philippine Exhibit. Editor: The men stand rigidly, with this palpable tension in the air. It feels less like a portrait and more like a staged display. Curator: Precisely! Beals, though progressive, was working within a colonial context. The fair itself was… well, let's just say it presented a highly curated and often problematic view of different cultures. Editor: The staging is unsettling. The juxtaposition of the formally dressed white man in the bowler hat against the Negrito men in traditional clothing underscores the power dynamics at play. This photo performs cultural exploitation. Curator: It's a sharp reminder that photography, even with the best intentions, can be complicit in perpetuating stereotypes. There's a dissonance between the supposed "objectivity" of the camera and the subjective reality captured. And who owns the narrative? Editor: It is an important photograph to grapple with, a visual artifact that forces us to confront uncomfortable truths about representation, power, and the legacy of colonialism.