Pair of Pumps with a Scalloped Edge c. 1950 - 1960

Editor: Here we have a photograph titled "Pair of Pumps with a Scalloped Edge" dating from somewhere between 1950 and 1960. What strikes me is how simple, yet elegant these shoes appear – it's clearly staged, but what's the story it tells about the time it was taken? How do you interpret this work? Curator: Well, first consider the rise of consumer culture after World War II. Photography like this was instrumental in shaping desires and aspirations, particularly for women. These shoes aren't just objects; they represent a specific image of femininity being marketed at the time. Editor: So, it's less about the shoes themselves and more about the lifestyle they represent? Curator: Exactly. Think about the staging: clean, minimal, drawing all your attention to the product itself. How does the image engage in promoting post-war ideals? The smooth leather and "scalloped edge" suggest refinement and sophistication that would have been highly desirable qualities promoted during this time. This relates directly to emerging class aspirations. Do you notice anything else about the socio-economic climate communicated through the shoes? Editor: Now that you point it out, there is this sense of attainable luxury, like owning these would elevate your social standing somehow. Curator: Precisely. Also consider who held the camera and what the images served: consumer culture in the twentieth century involved not just retailers and industries, but images, distribution of images, as well as the consumer's willingness to accept manufactured "ideals". Editor: I hadn't thought about it that way. It is amazing how a simple photograph of shoes can reveal so much about the era and power of advertising images in consumer societies! Thanks for opening my eyes! Curator: It's about recognizing that even seemingly mundane images like this are products of and contributors to larger socio-cultural forces. A still life can be a reflection of very lively ideologies!