Football Kick (Wes Fesler Kicking a Football) 1934

Curator: The stark, almost brutal, contrast in this image really grabs you, doesn't it? Editor: Indeed. It's an image by Harold Edgerton, known for his pioneering work in stroboscopic photography, and it's called "Football Kick (Wes Fesler Kicking a Football)." Look at the texture of that leather! I'm immediately thinking about the evolution of sports equipment, the materials used and how that reflects manufacturing processes of the time. Curator: For me, it evokes the myth of the gridiron hero, a powerful, masculine figure. The football itself, almost anthropomorphic here, is about to be sent on its journey. It symbolizes potential, the hopes of a team, maybe even a nation. Editor: And those boots—hand-stitched, heavy, built for labor and performance. You can almost feel the weight of them, the connection to the earth, to the field of play. How different from today’s lightweight synthetics! Curator: You're right, there is an earthiness to it, the ground clinging to the leather. It's about power, and the ritual of the game. It's the moment before action, laden with anticipation. Editor: It's also a fascinating documentation of material culture, a study in textures and forms, and in its own way, a window into the economic and industrial landscape of the era. I'll be thinking about this one for some time. Curator: Agreed; it has certainly given me a lot to consider too.