Untitled (portrait of woman in hat, pearls, and dress with ruffled trim) after 1940

This photographic portrait was made by Paul Gittings using a gelatin silver process, which was a dominant mode of photographic production by the early 20th century. The image's stark contrast and smooth tonal range are characteristic of this technique, achieved through a chemical process involving silver halides. But beyond the photographic method itself, we can consider the amount of labor and materiality involved in the sitter's garments and accessories. The pearls, the dress, and the hat all speak to a culture of fashion, of which photography was always a part. It is important to remember that each of these objects was also made through the physical labor of garment and hat makers, and through the cultivation of pearl farms. Paying attention to materials and production helps us understand not just the image, but also the broader economies of labor and consumption it implies.