Untitled (bridal group portrait in studio) c. 1940

Editor: This is John Deusing's "Untitled (bridal group portrait in studio)," part of the Harvard Art Museums collection. It's a black and white photograph showing a wedding party. Given that it's a photographic negative, it has an eerie, ghostly quality. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The photograph, precisely because it is a negative, destabilizes the expected narrative of a wedding. The reversal of tones makes us question the constructed image of marriage, particularly for women, in the early to mid-20th century. Does the lack of tonal grounding reflect uncertainties about gender roles? Editor: That's a really interesting point. I hadn't thought about the tonal inversions relating to social inversions. Curator: Exactly. And consider the uniformity of the bridesmaids. How might their identical attire and almost obscured faces speak to a suppression of individuality within traditional marriage expectations? Editor: This really reframes how I see the photograph. It's not just a wedding photo; it's a commentary on the institution of marriage. Curator: Precisely. Art invites us to question the societal norms we often take for granted.