Untitled (man and woman with cheetah) c. 1950

Curator: This is a gelatin silver print, 4 by 5 centimeters, currently entitled, "Untitled (man and woman with cheetah)," by Jack Gould. Editor: My first thought? That cheetah looks gloriously annoyed. Its eyes are saying, "Put me DOWN, darling." Curator: It’s interesting to consider celebrity culture here. The way the figures are posed and the inclusion of an exotic animal suggest a desire for notoriety or perhaps even a critique of it. Editor: There's a raw energy here, a kind of off-the-cuff glamour, but I agree, the exotic animal is clearly staged, almost as a status symbol. Curator: The framing and the setting, possibly a zoo, speak volumes about our relationship with the natural world. It’s a window into a specific time, place, and attitude. Editor: It’s a small, precious artifact, capturing a strange moment in time. A little bizarre, a lot fascinating.