Untitled (two men holding trophy cup) 1949

Editor: Here we have an intriguing photograph, "Untitled (two men holding trophy cup)" by Peter James Studio. It's a silver gelatin print. The reversed tones give it an eerie feel. What can you tell me about its creation? Curator: The photographic process itself is central here. Silver gelatin printing was a mass-reproducible medium. The uniformity and control the men exhibit are mirrored in the photographic standardization. What labor went into crafting that trophy, and who benefitted from it? Editor: That's a great way to put it in perspective. I hadn't thought about it that way. Curator: Thinking about the materiality changes everything.