Untitled (view of tables and party guests on lawn and patio outside of large house) 1960

Editor: This is an untitled photograph by Martin Schweig, showing a party on a lawn. It looks like a silver gelatin print. What strikes me is how the image highlights the gathering through the materials used - the paper, the developing process. What can you tell us about this image? Curator: Considering the print, it’s interesting to think about the labor involved in creating this image. From setting up the shot to the darkroom process, it speaks to a specific kind of image production and consumption in its time. This wasn't a digital snapshot, it was a craft. Editor: So the value lies in understanding its making? Curator: Precisely! The image then becomes more than just a party scene. It's a record of a particular social practice made possible by the material availability and know-how of photography. Editor: That definitely gives me a new appreciation for the work!