Untitled (woman measuring chimp) c. 1951

Curator: At the Harvard Art Museums, we have this intriguing photograph by Jack Gould, without a title, but showing a woman measuring a chimpanzee. Editor: The scene is unsettling, yet calm. The woman's expression is so serious, and the chimp seems almost compliant. Curator: Absolutely. It's a strange tableau. We see labor, the woman is performing a task. What is the purpose of this measuring? Is it for tailoring clothing, or some bizarre circus act? Editor: It makes me consider the historical context. The social role of animals in entertainment, the relationship between humans and primates – it all raises ethical questions. Curator: Indeed. The image underscores the constructed nature of these relationships and the commodification of both labor and the animal. Editor: It's a provocative image, leaving me with more questions than answers about its implications. Curator: Precisely, it invites viewers to contemplate labor, context, and the peculiar intersection of humanity and animal life.