Photo analysis of Leonard Bernstein in school.

Leonard Bernstein from his Westmount High School Yearbook, (age 16) 1951. (Seth Poppel/Yearbook Library).

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From a superficial look there are two girls and one boy, trying to seat properly.

But upon closer look, we see more;

The girl’s looks almost as a reflection of each other, this is called: mirroring,: 

This mirroring might mean that they are either very close to each other (emotionally) or they are in the same state of mind.  What is also inserting is their seat place; they both seat on the sides (less important, marginal, less of a central figure, such as ‘Leonard). They are seating in a posture which was preserved exclusively for girls and women, meaning: Because they are so narrow physically -they are taking as little territorial space as possible. “I am not intruding, I am hardly here, for I make myself as small as possible and by that, appear insignificant”. The smaller is the territory one takes for himself – the less dominant and full of presence-  he is, often it is a sign of a low status person. Both hands meet in clasping palms, on their hips, this is very typical for woman at the beginning of the 20^th century. This Palms are hiding/blocking the sight of their genitals. Which was supposed to portray: sexual modesty.

One Girl is with closed mouth (“I have nothing to say” or: “I don’t wish to speak”). The other girl is more open and participating, for her mouth is open, but both her facial expressions are serious, just like any good obeying girls (at the time) should do.

Now to Leonard, who is completely opposite to them. First of all he is totally open: both his hands, feet and his facial expression – are open. Torrentially he is taking to himself much space, when his elbows are blocked from further expansion, by the hands of the girls (who are contracted anyway). He is balanced and totally symmetrical, showing inner stability and inner harmony. He seats in a ‘power position’; The fingers of his both palms are wildly spread, and they are put on the legs in a position of almost bouncing forward, showing by that a powerful, territorial, balanced and harmonious (by the symmetry), no wonder that he reached so high.

Now to his face: is full of the ‘joy of life’, an open, confident smile. It is a real smile, by his narrow eyes, which happens when the smile in genuine.

On the whole it is quite a macho picture; the girls are timid and closed (well behaved), and Leonard is the confident, dominant male, taking the central position, full of confidence and the joy of life.

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16.9.20

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Gabriel Raam