Untitled (Caldwell County Centennial, man on horseback riding next to cow in parade) 1948

Editor: This photograph, by Harry Annas, captures a man on horseback leading a cow in a parade, possibly for the Caldwell County Centennial. It has this nostalgic, almost dreamlike quality because of the negative format. What catches your eye when you look at it? Curator: Oh, the layers! I see a storybook unfolding. The horse, the cow labeled "Mascot," the crowds – it's a performance of rural identity. It's as if Annas bottled a feeling, a collective memory of simpler times, even if those "simpler times" are highly idealized. Don't you think? Editor: Absolutely, it's like a snapshot of community pride, and maybe even a bit of playful self-mockery in the cow's role. I appreciate your perspective on the idealized past. Curator: Exactly! And it’s a reminder that history is never just about dates; it's about the stories we tell ourselves. It shows how community and connection can come from just a photograph, right?