Untitled (seated women with children) 1946

Editor: This is a small, square, black and white photograph from the Harvard Art Museums by Jack Gould, called "Untitled (seated women with children)." I am struck by how this image, being a photographic negative, evokes a ghostly feeling. What's your take? Curator: It’s as if Gould wanted to capture a fleeting moment, a memory half-formed. The negative effect adds an almost dreamlike quality, doesn't it? I see the women posed, but there's a certain dynamism created by the child standing and the differing gazes. Do you think the reversal gives it a different feeling than a print would have? Editor: Absolutely! It makes me question what's real and what's not, adding a layer of intrigue. I feel like I’m seeing something normally hidden. Curator: Exactly! It's a reminder that photography isn't just about capturing reality, but also about interpreting it, and, even more, showing the potential for the creation of a reality. Quite thought-provoking, indeed.