Untitled (children riding carousel) 1947

Curator: This small gelatin silver print, currently titled "Untitled (children riding carousel)," is attributed to Jack Gould. It's part of the Harvard Art Museums collection. It feels rather haunting, doesn't it? Editor: There's an almost clinical quality to its production – the texture of the gelatin silver seems to amplify the stark contrasts, especially with those mass-produced carousel horses. One wonders, what material were the horses actually made of? Curator: Well, the image itself speaks to leisure and childhood, but the crowd in the background suggests a broader social event, maybe a town fair, a place where communities displayed themselves, performing societal norms. Editor: And what of the children? Trapped in their individual carriages on a prescribed path? The ride itself, and its materials, dictate their movements, almost like a critique of early consumer culture. Curator: Perhaps. I see it more as capturing a moment of collective joy, framed within the social context of its time. The making of memories, really. Editor: Interesting. I still find myself drawn to the materials, and how they represent the commodification of childhood. It is food for thought.