Untitled (two zebras at zoo) c. 1950

Curator: This is Jack Gould’s small gelatin silver print, simply titled “Untitled (two zebras at zoo)." What strikes you first about this image? Editor: The bars, the zebras behind them, it's a potent symbol of confinement, really. The stark monochrome adds to the sense of detachment. Curator: The setting certainly informs how we perceive the animals. Zoos have a complicated history, evolving from menageries meant to display power, to institutions supposedly dedicated to conservation. Editor: Exactly, and the zebra stripes themselves become symbolic. Are they camouflage, or a mark of otherness? The zoo setting intensifies that reading. Curator: It does invite us to consider the cultural weight we project onto these animals, doesn't it? Editor: Absolutely. This seemingly simple snapshot speaks volumes about our relationship with the natural world.