Untitled (portrait of woman standing in flower hat holding bouquet) c. 1940

Paul Gittings captured this 10 x 8 inch photograph of a woman with a flower hat holding a bouquet. The woman, adorned in an elaborate flower hat and clutching a lush bouquet, seems to embody idealized femininity. Considering Gittings’s background as a portrait photographer for high society, it suggests a subtle commentary on the social roles and expectations placed upon women during this time. The cultural references are rich, evoking an era when social status was often conveyed through attire and posed portraiture. It's likely that this image, whether intentional or not, invites us to examine the interplay between art, social identity, and the construction of gender roles. To truly understand this photograph, further research into Gittings’s other works and the socio-economic context of his clientele would be invaluable. The meaning of this photograph is contingent on the social and institutional context in which it was created and viewed.