Untitled (family in living room) c. 1950

Curator: This is an Untitled photograph by Lucian and Mary Brown, titled "family in living room." It's part of the Harvard Art Museums collection and measures about 4 by 5 inches. Editor: It has an eerie quality. The negative image gives everyone an almost ghostly pallor, and that little girl in the foreground is unsettling. Curator: Yes, the reversed tones certainly create an unusual atmosphere. Brown was known for capturing everyday life, but this feels like a staged family portrait. Editor: Definitely staged. You can see it in their expressions, which are a little too formal, a little too posed. I’m curious about their social standing, and how they wanted to present themselves. Curator: The presence of the interior setting – the furniture, the artwork on the walls – speaks to a certain level of middle-class respectability. They seem eager to uphold societal norms and represent their family in a flattering light. Editor: The photograph raises interesting questions about visibility, representation, and the performance of identity within the framework of family and social expectations. Curator: I agree. It leaves you contemplating what "family" meant in that era and how these subjects navigate their identities within it. Editor: This negative image captures so much of the emotional and political complexities within a domestic setting.