Untitled (portrait of an older woman wearing glasses) c. 1940

This gelatin silver print, an untitled portrait of an older woman, was made by Paul Gittings. Photography, unlike painting or sculpture, has a direct relationship to industrial production. The silver gelatin process relies on standardized materials, mass-produced cameras, and the skilled labor of technicians. What we see in this image – the soft gradations of tone, the crisp focus on the subject's face – are direct results of these processes. Consider the labor involved; the photographer's skill in posing and lighting, the darkroom technicians, and the distribution networks that brought photography to a broad audience. It’s easy to overlook how photography democratized portraiture, making it accessible to those outside the elite. This work invites us to consider photography not just as a fine art, but as a medium deeply intertwined with social and economic forces.