Untitled (boy and girl playing with stack of blocks) c. 1950

Editor: This photograph by Lucian and Mary Brown shows a boy and girl playing with alphabet blocks; it's a small, intimate scene. What strikes me is the contrast between the seemingly innocent play and the very formal attire of the children. What do you see in this image? Curator: The attire, set against the backdrop of domesticity, speaks volumes. These children, likely positioned to uphold an image of wholesome, middle-class American identity, are participating in a performance. Consider how gender roles are being constructed here, even in play. The boy seems older, more formally dressed, almost guarding the space. How does that affect your reading of the image? Editor: I didn't think of the 'guarding' aspect, but it makes sense. He isn't really playing with the blocks. Curator: Exactly. And what does it mean to perform a certain identity? Whose expectations are they meeting, and at what cost? We learn so much about the social constructs of family from what appears to be a simple snapshot.