Untitled (bride and groom) 1948

Editor: Here we see Martin Schweig's "Untitled (bride and groom)" photograph from the Harvard Art Museums. It is striking how different the two figures are. What do you make of this image? Curator: The photograph, in its materiality, captures a specific moment in social exchange. I wonder about the labor involved in producing this image and distributing it to a wider audience. Editor: What do you mean by "social exchange"? Curator: The photograph is evidence of a wedding, a binding contract. The groom makes a "V" sign, perhaps to mark the occasion, perhaps to denote victory or peace. What is the social cost of this union? The photograph serves as a token of this transaction. Editor: So you see the photograph itself as a commodity, recording a social exchange? Curator: Precisely. The image is an artifact of this exchange. It allows us to analyze the values and expectations around the institution of marriage. Editor: That's a perspective I hadn't considered!