Untitled (family portrait of parents and four children) c. 1950

Curator: This silver gelatin print, a family portrait by Lucian and Mary Brown, presents such an interesting inversion. Editor: It certainly does. The negative creates an eerie, almost spectral mood. Even though it's a family, there’s a strange anonymity in the reversed tones. Curator: Precisely. This is a fascinating image when we consider the social context of photography and representation of African American families during the mid-20th century. Editor: Yes, family portraits often serve to solidify identity and legacy. Yet here, the reversal almost obscures those intentions, creating a compelling tension between visibility and invisibility. The symbols of family—matching outfits and neat presentation—are still visible. Curator: This work, held at the Harvard Art Museums, is small, just a few inches, but it invites us to consider the power of image-making in shaping our perceptions of identity and memory. Editor: Ultimately, it's a striking commentary on how photography can both reveal and conceal, preserving and distorting the very essence of what it seeks to capture.