Untitled (man with large gun collection) c. 1950

Editor: This is an untitled gelatin silver print by Jack Gould depicting a man with a sizable gun collection. The negative image makes the scene eerie, and I'm curious about the story it tells. How do you interpret this work through a materialist lens? Curator: I see the photograph as a document of production and consumption. The guns, objects of immense material presence, speak to labor, manufacturing, and, ultimately, their purpose. Consider the social context: what narratives are supported by the presence of these firearms and their display? Editor: So it's less about the man himself and more about what he represents in terms of production and societal values? That’s a really interesting perspective. Curator: Precisely. The means of production and the social implications of these objects are central to understanding the work.