Child's Dress c. 1937

Editor: Here we have Ray Price’s "Child’s Dress" from around 1937, a pencil drawing on paper. The blue and white stripes give it such a playful, innocent feel. What draws your eye when you look at this piece? Curator: You know, I find myself almost transported back to my own childhood summers! It's more than just a dress; it's a whisper of simpler times. The decorative-art style gives it this wonderful almost-storybook quality, doesn’t it? Are there fairy-tale heroines skipping about in such garb? The detail, even in the replicated back view of the dress, suggests so much loving attention and care. Do you think it hints at the labour involved? Editor: I hadn't thought about the labour of actually *making* a dress like that! So, beyond a nostalgic image, could it be read as a comment on domesticity? Curator: Absolutely! Consider the period. The late 30s… think of the Depression era, a make-do-and-mend ethos. This isn’t fast fashion. Each stitch is deliberate. It's a small celebration of ingenuity and, maybe, a tiny rebellion against austerity. The artist’s hand, the choice of pencil – it’s all so gentle, don’t you think? A delicate counterpoint to a tough world. Editor: That's such a different angle than my initial reading. Now I see how an image of such seeming innocence contains those layers. I really learned something. Curator: Wonderful. I found myself thinking about what "dress-up" may have meant to the child who would have worn such finery. Nostalgia indeed!