A photo shows two women sitting in someone's teal-colored living room, drinking beer, smoking cigarettes and laughing uproariously at something off-camera.

It's not clear why, but they seem to be having a great time.

British filmmaker Lee Shulman says it's one of his favorite images in "Midcentury Memories: The Anonymous Project," a new book he curated that brings together 300 Kodachrome slides dating back to the 1950s.

"To me, the photo captures a moment of pure complicity and absolute freedom," Shulman said in a phone interview. "You can sense the connection between the two women, and how carefree they are in that specific instant. It's almost uplifting."

Originally published Dec. 5th, 2019 on CNN; click to read full story