Untitled (government telephones with many buttons) c. 1950

Editor: This is an untitled photograph by Jack Gould of government telephones with many buttons. It’s small, about 6 x 6 cm. There's something cold and sterile about it. What do you see here? Curator: These telephones, with their connections to NORAD and SAC, speak to a very specific historical moment. The Cold War's infrastructure of control, surveillance, and the ever-present threat of nuclear annihilation. Editor: So it's a commentary on power? Curator: Absolutely. Think about the visual language—the rigid lines, the multitude of buttons, the anonymous technology. What kind of power does this machinery represent? Editor: Power that's distant, impersonal, and frankly, terrifying. I hadn’t thought about the Cold War context so directly. Curator: Exactly. These images serve as a stark reminder of how technology mediates state power, and how it impacts our lives.