Untitled (wedding party) c. 1940s

Editor: This photograph by Martin Schweig captures a wedding party, and the cascading ruffles on the dresses are incredible! What strikes you about it? Curator: I see a fascinating study in the materiality of celebration. Consider the labor involved in creating these elaborate garments, the social context of post-war St. Louis, and the consumption patterns that elevated such displays of affluence. How does the image itself participate in this economy? Editor: It's like the photograph is itself a commodity, documenting a display of wealth and status. I hadn't thought of it that way. Curator: Precisely! The photograph preserves not just a memory, but also the material aspirations of a specific time and place. These insights into the social and economic fabric surrounding the image certainly shifted my perspective on its meaning.