Women trying on clothes--Los Angeles 1956

Editor: This gelatin silver print, "Women trying on clothes—Los Angeles" was taken by Robert Frank in 1956. It's a grainy black and white image depicting women in a clothing store, perhaps trying on furs? It feels a bit claustrophobic and critical. What symbols jump out at you? Curator: The fur coats, of course, resonate deeply. They evoke ideas of status and the American dream, especially in mid-century Los Angeles. But what story do they whisper about female identity? Editor: What do you mean by female identity? Curator: Consider the pose of each woman and their placement: one preens, another waits, and the seated one glares straight at the viewer. Are they performers, consumers, prisoners of some social expectation, or arbiters of their own desire? Editor: It feels a little sad now that you mention it. The seated woman almost looks angry. Curator: Precisely. The image carries cultural memory; consider the shift in cultural attitudes regarding fur from the 1950s to today. Has the coat transformed from a symbol of aspiration into something morally fraught? Is that perhaps why Frank chose such a raw, unglamorous treatment? Editor: I didn't initially notice the details, but seeing this photo now makes me question how women are represented in media today. The expressions seem so loaded. Curator: Frank captures the complex visual codes of femininity. Understanding this, we realize the picture goes far beyond a simple scene in a clothing store. Editor: This makes me see the photo as less observational and more like social commentary than I did before. Curator: Indeed, the photograph encourages one to consider how symbols shift their meaning over time.