Untitled (woman and child playing pool) c. 1950

Curator: The intimacy here is striking. The composition, almost claustrophobic, pulls you right into this private moment. Editor: Exactly. What I notice first is the Kodachrome. This slide film yields an incredible saturation, but also grainy texture that’s characteristic of home snapshots. This photograph, of a woman playing pool, is by Jack Gould. Curator: There's a timeless quality to the scene, a snapshot of domesticity. The woman and child frozen in a tableau of leisure, the diamond patterns on the wall and pool table creating a symbolic space for play, chance, and even deception. Editor: True, but the act of shooting pool, as an activity, has always been class-specific. The way Gould frames it feels both intimate and staged. Curator: I find it speaks to the enduring role of women in the home, finding moments of joy and connection amidst the everyday. Editor: I agree, it’s a picture of play that speaks to social dynamics of labor. Curator: Seeing it this way has given me so much to consider. Editor: Me too, especially regarding the materiality of the medium itself.