Untitled (girl and baby playing in front of Christmas tree) c. 1950

Editor: This is an untitled photograph by Lucian and Mary Brown, showing a girl and baby near a Christmas tree. It's so evocative, even with the inverted tones, but also kind of eerie! What's your take on it? Curator: Eerie, yes! It's like stepping into a memory, a half-forgotten Christmas. I see the quiet intensity of childhood play, that bubble of imagination against the backdrop of holiday shimmer. It's nostalgic, but the reversal unsettles that sweetness, doesn't it? Editor: Definitely! I keep noticing new toys. It feels so intimate. Curator: It does. And that's the beauty. A simple moment, transformed into something otherworldly. These photographers invite us to dream up the untold narrative behind this picture. Editor: I never thought about it that way. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure. It's amazing what you see when you flip the familiar on its head.