Untitled (little girl in dress playing miniature piano, looking at camera) c. 1955

This photograph of a girl playing a miniature piano, looking directly at the camera, was taken by Paul Gittings, though the exact date remains unknown. The girl, dressed in what seems a formal dress, is captured in a moment that attempts to blend innocence with societal expectations. What does it mean to perform adulthood as a child? Gittings captures a moment in which the girl's agency is both present and absent. Is she performing a role, or expressing herself? The direct gaze challenges us, asking if we are complicit in the expectations we place on children, especially young girls. The image speaks to the complicated negotiation of identity, where individuality confronts cultural scripting. It invites a consideration of childhood, performance, and the subtle ways identity is shaped and observed.