Untitled (portrait of little girl) c. 1950

Curator: This is an untitled photographic portrait of a young girl by John Howell, currently held at the Harvard Art Museums. The dimensions are modest, only about 5x4 inches. Editor: The inverted tones create a startling effect, don't they? It's both unsettling and mesmerizing. The negative space defines her features in an almost ghostly way. Curator: Indeed. The material process of producing a negative, and then, presumably, never printing it, speaks volumes. It's a raw, unedited glimpse, perhaps reflecting the artist’s engagement with the subject. Editor: Perhaps the lack of context allows us to project our own societal views of childhood onto this image. Was it meant to be private or public? It makes you wonder about the intended audience and its initial reception. Curator: The striped dress, the bows in her hair... they are tactile details rendered almost immaterial by the photographic process. It makes you think about the labor involved in its creation. Editor: I agree. It’s a poignant reminder of how history and production influence our interpretation. Curator: Precisely. An interesting piece to consider.