Michal Raz-Russo, Curatorial Assistant in the Department of Photography at the Art Institute of Chicago and editor of the new book The Three Graces, has offered us a behind-the-scenes look at some of the detective work that went into this ambitious project, which investigates the cultural influences that shaped women’s self-presentation in front of the camera in the first half of the twentieth century, with an exhibition currently on view at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Listen here (or click play below) to hear Michal describe the fascinating process employed to date the unmarked photographs displayed in the exhibition and featured in the book, using the photo at left as an example.

If you’d like to learn more, check out Michal’s guest post on the Art Institute of Chicago’s blog, in which she describes the evolution of fashion in women’s swimwear over the first decades of the 20^th century.