Untitled (studio portrait, man and girl seated, formal clothes) c. 1910

Editor: Here we see "Untitled (studio portrait, man and girl seated, formal clothes)" by Durette Studio. It's a silver gelatin print. The figures are ghostly because the image is a negative. What can you tell me about the context of this kind of photography? Curator: The Durette Studio operated within a specific economy of image production. The formal clothes, the studio backdrop, and the photographic process itself speak to a desire for social mobility and memorialization. How does the materiality of the photograph, the paper and silver, contribute to its meaning? Editor: So, it's not just about the people in the photo, but about the materials used to create the image. Curator: Precisely. Consider how the chemistry and labor involved in producing this image contribute to our understanding of its value and the social dynamics at play. Did the photo’s creation democratize or reinforce existing social hierarchies? Editor: That's a new way of thinking about photography for me. Thanks. Curator: Indeed, it’s important to consider the consumption of the portrait, too.