President Kennedy, Surrounded by Political and Baseball Dignitaries, is Shown at the Moment He Threw Out the First Ball at D.C. Stadium Yesterday 8 - 1963

Editor: This black and white photograph from August 1963 shows President Kennedy throwing the first ball at D.C. Stadium. It's credited to Arthur Ellis. There’s so much joy on everyone's faces. What can you tell me about it? Curator: What interests me here is the photograph's capacity as a document of labour. This seemingly simple act, Kennedy throwing a baseball, masks a complex web of production. The stadium itself, constructed through significant labour, acts as the backdrop. What kind of labor went into that game, and why document this instead of, say, workers’ baseball leagues? Editor: That’s not something I considered! I was so focused on Kennedy's gesture. So, you are more interested in all of the invisible efforts that went into that particular event rather than the photo's political meaning? Curator: Exactly. Consider the ball itself – its production, from raw materials to finished product. The photograph immortalizes a moment of leisure, but we must ask: whose leisure is being represented, and at what cost? The context is important. Are we supposed to ignore that only months after this photo was taken, Kennedy was assassinated? Why are we memorializing this photograph? Editor: I see what you mean. The act becomes symbolic of an entire system. The mass-produced baseball is now like a memento to that moment of power! I hadn't thought about the value assigned to the objects represented, making it a great approach. Thanks. Curator: My pleasure. Thinking about art in terms of the resources, labour and materials makes you re-evaluate a great many artworks and also photographs like this.