Untitled (portrait of a seated man holding eyeglasses) 1915

Curator: The Hamblin Studio created this rather striking, untitled portrait of a seated man. It's a silver gelatin print, measuring roughly 25 by 20 centimeters. The sitter is holding eyeglasses. Editor: It's quite ethereal, almost ghostly. The light overwhelms the form, especially the stark white clothing. I wonder about the social implications of such a stark depiction. Curator: Given the photographic process, that bright light was essential. The exposure, the silver reacting to the light, it all dictates the image we see. The studio's labor is captured in this material process. Editor: True, but think of the sitter's role. The eyeglasses suggest intellect, authority, perhaps even a deliberate construction of identity for the public gaze. Was this meant for personal use, or public consumption? Curator: Perhaps both. The materiality reveals the constraints of photographic technology and labor, the social context informs its potential meanings. Editor: It leaves us with questions, which is perhaps the greatest value it offers. Curator: I agree.