Untitled (group portrait, standing between pulled back curtains) c. 1940

Editor: This is John Deusing’s "Untitled (group portrait, standing between pulled back curtains)." It's a black and white photograph, and the figures seem to glow against the patterned background. What's your take on this image? Curator: Well, considering the lack of a firm date, the image operates as a social document. The way the subjects are posed, the clothing, and even the backdrop, are carefully constructed to convey a certain status and respectability within their community. Why do you think they chose this setting? Editor: Perhaps to signal formality or importance? Curator: Exactly. And that choice speaks volumes about the values and aspirations of the people in the photograph and perhaps the photographer as well. It makes me think about who had access to photography and how they chose to represent themselves. Editor: That's fascinating. I hadn’t considered the social implications so directly. Curator: Thinking about the image as an active participant in its society makes you consider its role and purpose at the time, as well as now.