Untitled (two portraits of man in uniform) c. 1945

Editor: This is John Deusing’s "Untitled (two portraits of man in uniform)," held at the Harvard Art Museums. It's a photographic negative and the men seem proud in their uniforms. What do you notice about the portrayal of military identity here? Curator: The duplication is striking, isn't it? This format, its inherent reproducibility, speaks to the increasing professionalization and standardization of military image and, by extension, identity in the early 20th century. How does the negative image affect our reading? Editor: It's unsettling, almost ghostly. Does that amplify a sense of lost individuality within the military structure? Curator: Precisely. The reversed tones might suggest a critique of power, a questioning of the individual's role in a larger system. The absence of specific dating complicates our understanding, doesn't it? Editor: Definitely. It leaves room to consider how the image resonates across different periods of military engagement and public sentiment. Curator: It also demonstrates how photographic portraiture has become a form of institutional promotion. It's fascinating how a simple image invites so many questions about power and representation.