Untitled (bridal portrait, hip length veil, full sheer skirt with ruffles) c. 1940

Curator: This arresting bridal portrait, likely from Harris & Ewing, showcases a full sheer skirt and hip-length veil. The medium appears to be a gelatin silver print, sized at 8 x 10 inches. Editor: The inverted tones give it an otherworldly, haunting quality. It's immediately striking—a ghost of a bride. Curator: Indeed. The veil, though meant to symbolize purity and mystery, here almost obscures the figure, creating a sense of unease. The bouquet, too, seems tightly clutched, a protective gesture. Editor: I'm drawn to the texture of that skirt; the ruffles suggest movement, as if she's caught mid-step. Was this a staged portrait or perhaps a test print? The material itself seems so light, almost ethereal. Curator: The symmetry in the background, the flanking wall sconces, they create a sort of altar. It's as if the architecture itself is bearing witness to this transformative moment. Editor: It leaves me wondering about the social context—the labour involved in creating that dress, the aspirations of the bride, and the photographer’s own hand in constructing this image. Curator: An intriguing lens on a familiar ritual. Editor: Absolutely. A poignant reminder that even in celebration, shadows linger.