Untitled (overhead view of large banquet hall filled with people at round tables) 1955 - 1960

Curator: This is an untitled photograph by Martin Schweig, held in the Harvard Art Museums, depicting an overhead view of a banquet hall filled with people. Editor: It feels overwhelmingly crowded, a sea of faces and tables. The composition emphasizes the sheer number of attendees. Curator: The image speaks volumes about the labor involved in staging such an event. Think of the catering staff, the servers, the cleaning crews, their contributions are often invisible in representations of such gatherings. Editor: Absolutely, and who gets to be in this room is a crucial question. The uniformity in dress, judging from what one can see in the black and white image, points to a certain level of social and economic status being privileged here. It feels exclusionary. Curator: Indeed. The photographic process itself becomes a marker of access. Film and processing weren't cheap. It represents a specific viewpoint—literally and figuratively. Editor: Reflecting on this image brings up questions of who is seen, who is unseen, and the social narratives these types of events perpetuate. Curator: It makes you consider the means of production, the social implications, and how seemingly simple images hold complex histories.