Untitled (little girl looking at herself in a mirror) c. 1950

Curator: This intriguing gelatin silver print, currently held at the Harvard Art Museums, is attributed to Jack Gould. It’s titled "Untitled (little girl looking at herself in a mirror)." Editor: It feels like a ghostly dream. The high contrast creates this eerie, almost unsettling mood, like a memory fading in and out. Curator: The image raises questions about representation and perception, especially regarding childhood identity. How does this distorted mirror view, through Gould's lens, reflect broader societal expectations of young girls? Editor: I wonder if the mirror is offering the girl a chance to play with identity. It’s fun, this little dance with the self, but it is complicated too. Curator: Absolutely. Gould’s piece invites us to consider the power dynamics inherent in the gaze and the construction of self-image through art. Editor: It is like that space between who you are and who the world tells you to be. A beautiful little photograph.