Untitled (child in shirt with feathers) c. 1945

Editor: This is an untitled photograph by John Deusing depicting a child in a feathered outfit. It has a ghostly quality because it's a negative. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The feathered regalia is powerful, calling to mind cultural appropriation and children playing dress-up. Are the feathers referencing indigeneity? What does it mean to see childhood and cultural identity juxtaposed in this way? Editor: That makes me consider the cultural memory being formed here. Curator: Exactly. And how that memory might be inaccurate or incomplete. It's a striking commentary, even if unintentional.