Untitled (boy pouring drinks into mugs during Christmas party) 1962

Curator: This is an untitled photograph by Martin Schweig, part of the Harvard Art Museums collection. It depicts a boy pouring drinks into mugs at what seems to be a Christmas party. Editor: It's strikingly domestic, isn't it? The mugs arranged so uniformly, the wallpaper, everything speaks to a kind of curated comfort. Curator: I find it interesting to consider the social context. The image suggests a level of affluence and domesticity tied to postwar American ideals. Editor: And the labor implied! All those matching mugs suggest a conscious effort, a performance of middle-class festivity, enacted with specific tableware. Curator: Precisely. The very act of photographing and preserving this scene speaks to the importance placed on these moments and their historical record. Editor: It's a compelling snapshot. It makes you wonder about the hands that made those mugs, the social stratum that afforded such gatherings, and how the labor behind the image is equally as important as the image itself. Curator: It does offer a glimpse into a particular cultural narrative. Editor: Indeed. A narrative built on materials, labor, and social practices.