Untitled (portrait of a mother with two daughters) 1915

Curator: This photonegative, held in the Harvard Art Museums, captures a mother with her two daughters, a portrait by Hamblin Studio. The ethereal quality gives it an almost dreamlike feel. Editor: It feels haunting, almost ghostly. The inverted tones give an eerie quality, like figures emerging from a mist. I wonder about the social context of this image. Curator: Given the dress and hairstyle, it is likely early 20th century, mirroring the Victorian era. Family portraits like this were often imbued with symbolism, particularly around motherhood and lineage. Editor: The image also highlights the dynamics of female representation. How women were portrayed in public versus their lived experiences is something to consider. Were such portraits ways for families to perform respectability? Curator: Yes, these portraits reinforced cultural ideals around women. But perhaps they also served as important personal artifacts, chronicling a family's evolving story through time. Editor: True. It leaves us with so many questions about the nuances of identity and representation. Curator: Absolutely, a reminder of the layers present in even the most seemingly simple images.