Untitled (child holding a turtle and a trophy) c. 1950

Curator: Here we have an untitled photograph by Jack Gould, currently residing in the Harvard Art Museums. Note the dimensions: a compact 5.7 by 5.7 centimeters. Editor: It's strange and wonderful... something about the inverted tones creates a haunting, dreamlike mood. Curator: Indeed. The composition is quite striking, isn't it? Observe the central figure: a child, seemingly holding both a trophy and, curiously, a turtle. Editor: Right! It’s like, triumph and the slow wisdom of nature combined? What's that building in the background? Curator: I would say that the background architecture provides a grounding for the subject. Perhaps an institutional space of academia? Editor: It gives a storybook feel. It makes me wonder what the child's prize was…and what she planned to do with the turtle. Curator: The photograph opens up a host of questions about aspiration and unlikely companions. Editor: Exactly. So much story captured in such a small frame.