Untitled (girl in cowgirl outfit) c. 1950

Curator: This intriguing silver gelatin print, approximately 5 by 4 inches, is an Untitled work by Lucian and Mary Brown, found in the Harvard Art Museums. There's no date associated with it. It’s quite striking, isn’t it? Editor: I find it rather unsettling. The reversed tones give it a ghostly quality, and the child's pose, while playful, feels staged. The dog looks like it wants to get away. Curator: Exactly! It’s interesting to consider the Browns’ photographic process. The material itself—silver gelatin—became accessible to a wider public, influencing how families documented themselves and performed roles, like this girl in her cowgirl getup. Editor: The cowgirl outfit speaks volumes. It's a constructed identity, a costume, but also a nod to the romanticized Wild West. The means of image production democratized the projection of such cultural ideals. Curator: Precisely. It’s a fascinating glimpse into how identity is both performed and preserved through accessible technologies like photography. Editor: Absolutely. The material—the photograph itself—becomes an artifact, embodying social narratives and artistic practice.