The Sinister Window c. 1948

Curator: Clarence John Laughlin's photograph, "The Sinister Window," presents a stark, abandoned scene. The image, part of the Harvard Art Museums collection, captures a decaying window set within a crumbling wall. Editor: My first thought is that this window has secrets—dark ones. The monochrome palette and the decaying frame give it a truly haunting feel. Curator: Laughlin was deeply interested in the Southern Gothic, and this image reflects that aesthetic. Windows often symbolize a threshold between worlds, and here, that threshold feels corrupted. Editor: Absolutely. The skeletal branches crawling across the window only amplify that sense of decay, almost like grasping hands. It feels incredibly personal, as if I am looking into the soul of a forgotten place. Curator: These spaces speak to themes of mortality, memory, and the passage of time. Laughlin's work reminds us of the stories embedded within architecture, even in its derelict state. Editor: I agree. It's as if the photograph invites us to reflect on what it means to leave behind a trace, however faded. There is an honest beauty in its imperfections.