Untitled (young man in Army ROTC uniform) c. 1950

Curator: This arresting photo by John Howell shows a young man in an Army ROTC uniform. Its dimensions are approximately 7 by 5 inches, a very intimate scale. Editor: It's got this eerie, almost spectral feel. The inverted tones give the image a sense of unreality, like a ghost from a forgotten war. Curator: Given the social context of the ROTC program, especially its ties to military expansion and interventions, the subject's youth becomes a stark commentary on power, conformity, and the potential loss of innocence. Editor: Absolutely, it makes me wonder about the path not taken. About the dreams deferred. There's a stillness in his eyes that feels loaded with unspoken stories. Curator: Indeed, his gaze can be read as complicit, defiant, or simply resigned depending on your own positionality. The image becomes a site of contestation. Editor: I feel that—it’s a visual poem about what we ask of our youth. For me, it’s a reminder to resist easy answers. Curator: I concur. This artwork challenges us to unpack intersecting layers of identity, duty, and the human cost of geopolitical strategies.