Untitled (view from side door of bridesmaids posing with flower girl and ring bearer) c. 1940 - 1960

Editor: This is an untitled gelatin silver print by Martin Schweig, showing bridesmaids with a flower girl and ring bearer. I’m struck by the contrast between the dark tones and the bright highlights, almost like an x-ray. What's your take on this photo? Curator: The means of producing this image – the labor, materials, and even the social ritual of a wedding – are front and center for me. Consider the silver gelatin process itself, and the cultural significance we ascribe to these rituals. How does the artist's choice of materials affect our understanding of the subjects depicted? Editor: That's interesting. I hadn't thought about how the process reinforces the image. It makes me wonder about the resources used to create not just the photo, but the wedding itself. Curator: Precisely! It invites us to contemplate the material underpinnings of social practices. Editor: Thanks, seeing it that way really changes my perspective.