Cord in Harlem c. 1936 - 1989

Curator: This photograph is titled "Cord in Harlem" and was created by John Gutmann. The approximate creation dates span from 1936 to 1989. Gutmann captured this striking image using the gelatin silver print process. Editor: It’s powerful! The monochrome and the perspective give it such a stark, yet dignified feel. It almost romanticizes the scene. The car is almost a character itself. Curator: Indeed! Notice how Gutmann frames the Cord automobile—almost head-on, like a portrait. The car seems to embody both technological progress and also personal aspiration. Automobiles themselves possess their own sort of symbolic meaning, specifically concerning mobility and the ever changing socio-economic landscapes of their time. Editor: Right. The location grounds it—Harlem, a nucleus of Black culture and resilience. In the late '30s, imagine the statements a car like that makes—success, arrival... But then, thinking critically, who has access to that kind of success and visibility, and who doesn't? Curator: An interesting contrast to ponder, given Harlem's cultural vibrancy alongside persistent economic struggles. The image seems to invoke multiple interpretations and representations for both progress and wealth disparities within African American communities in that era. It could serve as commentary, in itself. Editor: Absolutely, we have to also consider the coded nature of this seemingly straightforward scene. Are the men about to get in? Are they discussing the car? Are they owners or simply admiring from afar? The ambiguity charges the picture, and points toward an implied, much wider narrative about class, status and race in mid-20th century urban America. Curator: Very perceptive points. The car, a symbol of aspiration and upward mobility, sits in the middle of all these complex social realities, reflecting the era's socio-economic landscape. Editor: Reflecting and refracting—distorting some views while sharpening others. A deceptively simple photo that invites us to ask some complex questions. Curator: Gutmann's "Cord in Harlem," it appears, encapsulates more than just an automobile, doesn’t it? Editor: Far more!