Untitled (two girls with dolls in high chairs) c. 1950

Curator: Gosh, this photograph, "Untitled (two girls with dolls in high chairs)" by Lucian and Mary Brown, has such a captivating stillness. It's quite small, only about 4x5 inches, and it’s part of the Harvard Art Museums collection. Editor: The high contrast really grabs you, doesn't it? It feels both innocent and slightly unsettling, like a memory half-forgotten. Curator: The way the children are mirroring adult roles through play says so much about societal expectations, doesn't it? And about the performance of care. Editor: Absolutely. The dolls are almost like stand-ins, reflecting the girls back to themselves. I wonder about the dolls’ expressions, too; they are eerily still! Curator: The image itself, the lack of color, almost feels like a historical document, even without a precise date assigned to it. Editor: It really makes you think about the layers of representation. What are these girls learning? What are they internalizing? Curator: It's a quiet, powerful observation. Editor: Indeed, it leaves you with a sense of reflective unease.