In the hisÂtoÂry of phoÂtogÂraÂphy and film, getÂting the right image meant getÂting the one which conÂformed to prevaÂlent ideas of humanÂiÂty. This includÂed ideas of whiteÂness, of what colour — what range of hue — white peoÂple wantÂed white peoÂple to be.
- Richard Dyer, White: Essays on Race and CulÂture
As the bride in the 2014 InterÂraÂcial WedÂding PhoÂtogÂraÂphÂer skit (see below) on her titÂuÂlar sketch comÂeÂdy TV show, comeÂdiÂan Amy Schumer cast herÂself in a small but essenÂtial backÂground role. She is for all pracÂtiÂcal purÂposÂes a livÂing Shirley card, an image of a young white woman that was for years the stanÂdard phoÂtogÂraÂphy techs used to deterÂmine “norÂmal” skin-colÂor balÂance when develÂopÂing film in the lab.
The Shirley card—named for its origÂiÂnal modÂel, Kodak employÂee Shirley Page–featured a sucÂcesÂsion of young women over the years, but skin tone-wise, the resemÂblance was strikÂing.
As described by SyreeÂta McFadÂden in a BuzÂzfeed essay that also touchÂes on CarÂrie Mae Weems’ 1988 four-panÂel porÂtrait, PeachÂes, Liz, TamiÂka, Elaine, a colÂor wheel meme feaÂturÂing actress LupiÂta Nyong’o, and artists Adam Broomberg and OlivÂer ChaÂnarin’s 2013 project that trained an apartheid-era Polaroid ID2 camÂera and nearÂly 40-year-old film stock on dark-skinned South African subÂjects as a lens for examÂinÂing racism:
She is wearÂing a white dress with long black gloves. A pearl bracelet adorns one of her wrists. She has auburn hair that drapes her exposed shoulÂders. Her eyes are blue. The backÂground is grayÂish, and she is surÂroundÂed by three pilÂlows, each in one of the priÂmaÂry colÂors we’re taught in school. She wears a white dress because it reads high conÂtrast against the gray backÂground with her black gloves. “ColÂor girl” is the techÂniÂcians’ term for her. The image is used as a metÂric for skin-colÂor balÂance, which techÂniÂcians use to renÂder an image as close as posÂsiÂble to what the human eye recÂogÂnizes as norÂmal. But there’s the rub: With a white body as a light meter, all othÂer skin tones become deviÂaÂtions from the norm.
This explains why the porÂtrait sesÂsion McFadden’s mom set up in a shopÂping mall stuÂdio chain yieldÂed results so disÂasÂtrous that McFadÂden instincÂtiveÂly gravÂiÂtatÂed toward black-and-white when she startÂed takÂing picÂtures. Grayscale did a much betÂter job of sugÂgestÂing the wide variÂety of mulÂtiÂculÂturÂal skin tones than existÂing colÂor film.
In her 2009 paper “LookÂing at Shirley, the UltiÂmate Norm: Colour BalÂance, Image TechÂnoloÂgies and CogÂniÂtive EquiÂty,” ConÂcorÂdia UniÂverÂsiÂty media and comÂmuÂniÂcaÂtion studÂies proÂfesÂsor LorÂna Roth went into the chemÂistry of inherÂent, if unconÂscious, racial bias. The potenÂtial to recÂogÂnize a specÂtrum of yelÂlow, brown and redÂdish skin tones was there, but the film comÂpaÂnies went with emulÂsions that catered to the perÂceived needs of their tarÂget conÂsumers, whose hides were noticeÂably lighter than those of black shutÂterÂbugs also seekÂing to docÂuÂment their famÂiÂly vacaÂtions, mileÂstones, and celÂeÂbraÂtions.
IndusÂtry progress can be chalked up to presÂsure from venÂdors of wood furÂniÂture and chocoÂlate, who felt their dark prodÂucts could look betÂter on film.
Oprah WinÂfrey and Black EnterÂtainÂment TeleÂviÂsion were earÂly adopters of camÂeras equipped with two comÂputÂer chips, thus enabling them to accuÂrateÂly porÂtray a variÂety of indiÂvidÂual tones simulÂtaÂneÂousÂly.
Who knew that Amy Schumer sketch, below, would turn out to have such hisÂtoric sigÂnifÂiÂcance? Once you know about the Shirley card, the comÂeÂdy becomes even darkÂer. GenÂerÂaÂtions of real brides and grooms, whose skin tones fell to either side of Schumer’s TV groom, DJ Ali ShaÂheed MuhamÂmad of A Tribe Called Quest fame, failed to show up in their own wedÂding phoÂtos, through no fault of their own.
via Vox
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
Tsarist RusÂsia Comes to Life in Vivid ColÂor PhoÂtographs TakÂen CirÂca 1905–1915
New Archive of MidÂdle EastÂern PhoÂtogÂraÂphy FeaÂtures 9,000 DigÂiÂtized Images
Ayun HalÂlÂiÂday is an author, illusÂtraÂtor, theÂater makÂer and Chief PriÂmaÂtolÂoÂgist of the East VilÂlage Inky zine. FolÂlow her @AyunHalliday.