Untitled (young woman and mother posed looking at one another in front of fireplace at debutante party) 1960

Editor: This is an untitled photograph by Martin Schweig, showing a young woman and her mother at a debutante party. It feels like a glimpse into a very specific time. What catches your eye about this piece? Curator: Oh, absolutely. For me, it’s the mirrored poses, the matching smiles. The image teems with social ritual, right? The debutante, presented. It’s like a dance, a silent conversation happening between generations. Almost like a staged scene from a play. Editor: A silent conversation, I like that! It does feel like a very particular moment in time, too. I wonder what their relationship was like outside of that snapshot. Curator: Exactly! It makes you think about all that’s unsaid in family portraits, doesn’t it? Editor: Definitely. I never would've thought of it that way.