Untitled (woman in beaded jacket and long dress seated in chair by window) c. 1940

This photograph of a woman in a beaded jacket and long dress was taken by Paul Gittings. In this photographic portrait we see a woman seated, in what appears to be, a comfortable interior setting. Her attire, the beaded jacket and elegant dress, suggests a certain social status, possibly reflective of the sitter’s personal identity and the era's fashion ideals. Yet, the lack of a title directs us away from a reading of the sitter as an individual, towards an engagement with the image as a narrative of femininity and representation. The window in the background is a liminal space. The light streams in, illuminating not just her face, but also the complex interplay between public presentation and private identity. We see here, an engagement with societal expectations, but also the potential for a more nuanced and personal narrative. The photograph invites us to consider the complex and negotiated nature of identity, and the silent dialogues that photographic portraits can initiate across time.