Untitled (three children with presents in front of Christmas tree) c. 1950

Curator: This small, untitled photograph by John Howell depicts three children with presents in front of a Christmas tree. Editor: It’s strikingly unsettling, isn't it? The high contrast and ghostly figures evoke a sense of unease despite the seemingly festive subject matter. Curator: The inversion of tones definitely alters our perception. Christmas is so heavily laden with symbolism, familial warmth, and generosity. Howell seems to be playing with that expectation. Editor: Perhaps critiquing the idealized image of Christmas? The gifts and tree are present, but the children lack joy, or at least it is obscured. It serves as a bleak reminder of societal pressures and the commercialization of the holiday. Curator: It's a photograph that makes us reconsider the layers of meaning we attach to cultural celebrations, and how easily those meanings can be subverted. Editor: A fascinating subversion indeed, revealing the disquiet that can lurk beneath the surface of tradition.