Untitled (film strip: rhinoceros drinking from puddle on ground) c. 1950

Curator: Let's discuss this untitled photograph by Jack Gould, found in the Harvard Art Museums: a rhino drinking. The gelatin silver print is small, only about 6 by 12 centimeters. Editor: The monochrome palette immediately evokes a sense of melancholy, doesn't it? The stark contrasts emphasize the rhino's textured skin against the smooth, wet ground. Curator: Absolutely. The rhino, a symbol of wild strength, is here confined, its very act of drinking signaling a basic need, vulnerable within a constructed space. It reflects on colonial legacies, zoos as sites of control, and human dominance over the animal kingdom. Editor: I see it more as a study in form. The animal's mass is beautifully captured through light and shadow, creating a compelling composition that draws the eye to the details of its skin and features. Curator: Perhaps both perspectives are valid. It’s a document, but also a constructed representation rife with social implications. Editor: Indeed, the photograph's strength lies in its ability to be interpreted on multiple levels.