Untitled (VE Day: crowd of women on city street holding signs) 1945

Curator: This photograph by Jack Gould, held at the Harvard Art Museums, captures a VE Day celebration. It's a small gelatin silver print, roughly 4 by 5 inches. Editor: The energy just jumps out—look at the exuberance! You can almost hear the cheers and feel the collective relief. It feels…triumphant, yet something's not quite right. Curator: Indeed. The signs the women carry reveal a darker side to the celebration, expressing wartime animosities. Note the handmade nature of the signs, the directness of their slogans. Editor: Oof, yeah, "Down with the Japs." It's a harsh reminder that even in victory, prejudice lingered. It muddies the water, doesn't it? The joy feels...complicated. Curator: Precisely. Gould's image provides insight into the complex social and political context of the time. The work they do is a reminder of the intersection of social issues and craft practices. Editor: It’s haunting, really. A moment of victory tainted by lingering animosity. I won't easily forget this one. Curator: I agree. It speaks volumes about the human condition, even amid triumph.