Untitled (people seen from behind standing outside watching airplane in air) c. 1950

Curator: This untitled photograph by Jack Gould captures a group of people watching an airplane in flight. The print itself is quite small, less than 6 by 6 centimeters. Editor: There's a sense of collective anticipation here, wouldn't you agree? The figures, seen from behind, are all oriented toward that single focal point in the sky. It’s almost dreamlike. Curator: Given the limited information, it's difficult to ascertain when or where this was taken, but the attire suggests mid-20th century. The technical aspects—the dark sky contrasting with the figures—highlights the material elements. Editor: Airplanes have long carried potent symbolism—representing both hope and the potential for destruction. The image captures an ambivalent moment, reflecting modern anxieties. Curator: Perhaps the labor involved in the photography—the developing process, the printing—mirrors the intensive work in airplane manufacturing, the hidden labor in both sectors. Editor: Ultimately, I'm left with a sense of shared experience and a yearning for what lies beyond the horizon. Curator: Yes, the composition highlights the unseen, the labor that goes into producing our technologies.