Garters 1939

Editor: This is Philippe Halsman's photograph, "Garters," from 1939. It's a stark, black and white image focusing intensely on the lower torso of a woman. It's both intimate and, honestly, a little unnerving. What jumps out at you when you look at this? Curator: Well, isn’t it curious? This tight crop throws so much into question right off the bat. Halsman's choices – the harsh monochrome, the theatrical lighting – they amplify the traditional, almost performative, nature of femininity at the time, don’t you think? Like a stage prop just waiting for the play to start. But it's a strange play, no? A single spotlight on… what? Support garments? Why isolate these articles of adornment, especially when the full picture of a wedding would evoke joy and love, whereas the garter seems like it might signify coersion and constraint. What do you suppose he was trying to make us feel? Editor: So it's less about allure, maybe more about expectation and... control? The way you put it makes it sound as though the photo is really turning on its head the wedding day performance for the male gaze! Curator: Exactly! Halsman might have been aiming at our comfort zones about gender. The photograph also evokes a period marked by conflict and constraint, as if Halsman tried to take us far away from glamour and fashion. Consider the date, 1939 - looming over those silk stockings and delicate lace is a World War. Perhaps Halsman sees an ill omen for wedded bliss in this time of conflict, what do you think? Editor: That gives me a lot to think about – the personal meeting the political in something as seemingly simple as a wedding garter! Curator: See, and this is why art keeps me up at night. One simple picture holds a whole universe of potential readings, doesn’t it?