Untitled (barber cutting child's hair) c. 1950

Curator: This silver gelatin print, attributed to Lucian and Mary Brown, captures a scene of a barber cutting a child's hair. It's simply called "Untitled." Editor: It's ghostly, almost dreamlike. The high contrast gives it a real sense of drama, highlighting the stark interior of what looks like an old-fashioned barber shop. Curator: Absolutely. It's interesting to consider the gender dynamics at play here. The barber, likely a man, holds the scissors, literally shaping the child's identity. Editor: Yes, and the setting reinforces this. Barber shops have historically been masculine spaces, so the child's experience there is undoubtedly shaped by those norms and expectations. What does a "boy's" haircut even mean? Curator: Well, the photograph’s composition subtly focuses on the labor of care. It makes you wonder how the Browns understood and portrayed the nuances of everyday life. Editor: I agree. It's a quiet, powerful image that encourages us to think about the construction of gender and the subtle ways it's enforced, even in the most mundane settings. It makes me wonder about access to barbershops in various communities. Curator: It certainly leaves one contemplating the rituals of childhood. Editor: Precisely, a snapshot of identity in the making.