Jongen en meisje op de trappen van een huistijdens de wereldtentoonstelling in St. Louis (Louisiana Purchase Exposition), 1904 1904

Editor: This photograph, "Boy and Girl on the Steps of a House During the World's Fair in St. Louis," was taken in 1904 by Jan Schüller. It's a small, unassuming print. There's a sort of quiet, everyday feel to it. What are your initial thoughts on the social context? Curator: Well, first, the fact it documents the St. Louis World's Fair is crucial. These expositions were colossal displays of progress, but also of empire. The Louisiana Purchase Exposition specifically promoted American expansionism. Editor: So, how does this seemingly simple image fit into that narrative? Curator: Think about who is prominently *not* in this picture. Where are the representatives of the world being celebrated in the Fair, the cultural displays of colonized peoples? The world this boy and girl inhabit, on the porch, is remarkably homogenous, suggesting who is being positioned to benefit from that "progress". The world fair sought to popularize social and political views of white America and their position as the dominant group. Editor: I see. It's subtly reinforcing a social structure by its very omission. It focuses instead on a particular domestic ideal. Do you think its realist aesthetic has any part to play? Curator: Precisely! Realism lends it an air of objectivity, a "this is how things *are*" kind of feel, which masks the power dynamics at play. It naturalizes a very specific vision of American life. Editor: That makes so much sense. I'll definitely look at other photos of the time period from this lens. Curator: It’s crucial to look past what images show and to delve deeper into what they suggest. Considering context is everything.