Untitled (men sitting at table next to padded wall) c. 1950

Curator: This small, untitled photograph by Jack Gould at the Harvard Art Museums depicts men sitting at a table next to a padded wall. The dimensions are 6 x 6 cm. Editor: My first thought is: "interrogation". It's got this low-lit, claustrophobic feeling, like a scene from a spy thriller. Curator: The photograph's composition, coupled with the padded wall, evokes a sense of confinement and psychological tension, reflecting institutional spaces and power dynamics. Editor: Right, that padding…makes me wonder what kind of narratives are held and contained within these walls. What about their own agency? Curator: Exactly, it prompts reflections on surveillance, control, and the silencing of marginalized voices. Editor: I wonder about the untold stories, the echoes in that room. Curator: Absolutely, it's a powerful reminder of the unseen structures that shape our lives. Editor: It really does make you think. Thanks for sharing it.