Untitled (Newlyweds) c. 1920s

Editor: Here we have an image, titled *Untitled (Newlyweds)*, a black and white photograph taken around the 1920s. They're in a car decorated with streamers... It has such a hopeful feel. What do you see in this photograph? Curator: I see more than just hope; I see a carefully constructed performance of identity. Think about the 1920s – for whom was marriage a truly free choice? The image is anonymous. Can we read this image against the restrictive social narratives, particularly around race and gender, of that era? Editor: That's interesting. I hadn’t considered it as a performance. Curator: Look at the streamers. They're binding, aren't they? In some ways. Does this photograph challenge or reinforce conventional roles and expectations? Are they genuinely happy? Or are they performing happiness? Editor: That gives me a completely different perspective. I guess it does invite more questions than answers, especially knowing nothing about the couple or photographer. Maybe the streamers are celebratory *and* restrictive... a complex feeling, I think. Curator: Precisely. And consider photography's role in shaping and perpetuating those narratives. How did images like this, circulated widely, contribute to the idea of a 'normal' or 'successful' marriage? What does "success" mean for them, and who decided that metric? Editor: I’m realizing this photo encapsulates so much more than meets the eye. Thinking about it as a conscious performance in a specific social context makes me question all the layers beneath the surface. Curator: Exactly. Art encourages us to engage in the nuances and not take everything for face value, prompting us to engage critically with representations of the past and present. Editor: I’ll definitely carry that with me moving forward.