Untitled (two girls and doll) c. 1950

Curator: This is an Untitled photograph by Lucian and Mary Brown, depicting two girls and a doll. It's a silver gelatin print, quite small, only about 4 by 5 inches. Editor: The way the light falls almost makes it seem like a photographic negative, not a positive print. Curator: Exactly! The shadows really emphasize the textures of the fabrics. I wonder about the material of the doll, its manufacture...the hands holding it. Editor: And to consider the labor involved in creating these dresses, and the photographic process itself, makes me reflect on what it means to capture a moment. It almost feels ghostly, doesn't it? Curator: It does. It's a simple image, yet layered with time and memory, a quiet study of childhood and light.