Untitled (elderly women at meeting in house) c. 1940

Curator: Jack Gould’s untitled photograph, “elderly women at meeting in house,” depicts three women in what seems like a casual gathering. It's a small gelatin silver print, only about 6x6 cm, currently held at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: The image feels frozen, almost ghostly. The high contrast and small size give it an intimate yet detached quality, like a memory glimpsed from afar. Curator: Given the lack of specifics about its date or context, this piece opens up a dialogue about representation and the historical portrayal of women in domestic settings. I find the hats intriguing. Editor: Ah, the hats! They add such character, don't they? I imagine each hat tells a story, perhaps a cherished memory or a symbol of personal identity carefully crafted for this meeting. It's a quiet power, a subtle rebellion against invisibility. Curator: Absolutely, and considering the period, these gatherings could have been vital spaces for social support and perhaps even political action, however subtle. It challenges the notion of the domestic as merely private. Editor: I agree. I am left pondering the conversations unfolding in that room and the silent strength radiating from these women. Curator: It's a powerful reminder that the personal is indeed political and worthy of documentation.