Untitled (4-H Prize ribbons) c. 1956

Editor: This intriguing image, "Untitled (4-H Prize ribbons)" by Harry Annas, presents a collection of ribbons displayed almost like specimens. What emotional or cultural symbols resonate with you when you observe this array? Curator: Ribbons have always signified accomplishment and belonging. Notice how the 4-H emblem, a symbol of youth agricultural programs, repeats across these objects. What do these ribbons tell us about the values placed on rural life and the passage of time in America? Editor: That's insightful! They almost feel like relics of a particular cultural moment, frozen in time. Curator: Precisely. Ribbons also denote hierarchy, as one contemplates which social and civic achievements are celebrated and preserved. This tension between progress and memory is profound. Editor: This makes me consider the stories behind each ribbon, the individual efforts celebrated by them. Thank you, I hadn't looked at it that way before.