Untitled (chimp sitting on pony, men walking with pony) c. 1950

Curator: Here we have Jack Gould’s “Untitled (chimp sitting on pony, men walking with pony),” a small photograph held in the Harvard Art Museums. What's your take? Editor: It has a surreal, almost haunting quality. The reversed tones of the image and the odd tableau of a chimpanzee on a pony create a strange visual dissonance. Curator: The photograph's context is intriguing, since Gould wasn't known as an artist. Photos like this were likely shot for use in newspapers or magazines. The image speaks to the history of entertainment and the spectacle of animals, reflecting our evolving relationship with them. Editor: Absolutely. The material reality of the photograph itself—the darkroom processes, the chemicals involved—adds to the sense of its being a document of a specific time and place. It makes one wonder about the treatment of these animals and who the men are. Curator: It's a stark image that unveils some uncomfortable truths about the social history of animal performance. Editor: Yes, there's a rawness in the photo's construction and content. It makes you think about the labor and materials behind the image itself, beyond just the staged event.