Untitled (portrait of man in suit, glasses, beard) c. 1925

Editor: Let's look at this intriguing photographic negative, "Untitled (portrait of man in suit, glasses, beard)" by Harris & Ewing, held at the Harvard Art Museums. I'm drawn to the ghostly quality and the intense gaze of the subject. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Oh, it's like peering into a mirror reflecting a bygone era, isn't it? The reversal of light and shadow gives him an almost ethereal presence, a phantom of respectability. I wonder what he was thinking at that precise moment the shutter clicked? Does the formality hide vulnerability, perhaps? What do you think? Editor: The negative form definitely heightens the mystery. Thanks, that's a great point.