Untitled (girl holding baton to her right) 1950

Editor: This is an untitled photograph by John Deusing, showing a young girl holding a baton. The high contrast gives it an otherworldly feeling. What can you tell me about the cultural context of images like this? Curator: It reminds me of images used in child beauty pageants. How do such events shape ideals of femininity and performance? Editor: That’s a great point. I didn’t think about the performative aspect of it before. Curator: Photography played a crucial role in both documenting and promoting these ideals. Do you think the negative format amplifies or diminishes the girl’s agency? Editor: Interesting! I think it diminishes it, making her seem more like an object than a subject. Curator: Right, and considering the time, these images often reinforced existing social hierarchies. The presentation mattered, as it still does today. Editor: That’s fascinating; seeing it through that historical lens makes it much more powerful.