Untitled (two boys in suits and two girls in dresses posed at stairway) c. 1950

This photograph, by Paul Gittings, shows two boys in suits and two girls in dresses posed at a stairway. Photography is a medium born of industrial chemistry and mass production. The gelatin silver print, the most common black-and-white process of the 20th century, is no exception. It relies on the light sensitivity of silver halides, creating an image from a chemical reaction. This one may have been produced in a professional portrait studio. The way light is used here is important; it’s very controlled. Everything is evenly lit to ensure the subjects are presented in the best possible light. The suits and dresses worn by the children, as well as the setting of a well-appointed home, speak to aspirations of middle-class respectability, a world made possible by the industrial revolution. When we consider the making and the setting, we can appreciate how this photograph captures social conventions and aspirations of its time.