Untitled (advertising image, woman in hat with feather, leather gloves and fur stole) 1940

Curator: This striking silver gelatin print, an advertising image from Harris & Ewing, captures a woman in an assertive pose. It's currently housed at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It has a kind of cool, detached glamour to it, like a high-fashion ice queen. The hat is very Marlene Dietrich, and the gloves give her a sort of aloofness. Curator: Absolutely. The composition, with its emphasis on the woman's attire – the hat, fur stole, and gloves – speaks volumes about the aspirations of the time, reflecting the cultural emphasis on status through fashion. Editor: It’s like she's presenting herself as an object, almost a mannequin, which is ironic given its purpose as an advertisement. Curator: I see it as a deliberate performance of femininity, highlighting the constructed nature of identity within the consumerist culture. Editor: Maybe, but there is something unsettlingly beautiful about the image. A sense of mystery. Curator: Yes, it's a complex blend of allure and artifice. Editor: Which makes it so haunting.