Untitled (postmortem image of middle-aged woman wearing large bow in casket) 1955

Editor: This photograph by Martin Schweig, titled "Untitled (postmortem image of middle-aged woman wearing large bow in casket)," captures a somber scene. The woman is in a casket, and the image feels very staged. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The photograph's material reality as a commodity is what strikes me. Who commissioned it? Was it a memento for the family, reflecting Victorian mourning practices and the commodification of death? The labor involved in producing this image, both in staging and developing it, speaks volumes. Editor: That's interesting, I hadn't thought about who paid for it. Curator: Indeed. And the act of memorializing through this particular medium reveals much about the consumer culture of the time. Editor: I will definitely look into that. Thanks for shedding light on the context of the photograph.