The Unending Stream (Girod Street Cemetery) c. 1948

Curator: Clarence John Laughlin’s photograph, “The Unending Stream (Girod Street Cemetery),” presents us with a stark view of a New Orleans cemetery. The dramatic sky hints at a deeper story. Editor: It certainly does. The churning sky above the rigid, geometric tombs evokes a feeling of unrest, almost as if the very air is haunted. The urns and obelisks seem to point towards a turbulent afterlife. Curator: Laughlin was deeply interested in the psychological impact of architecture, particularly in the context of the American South. Cemeteries, especially in New Orleans with their above-ground tombs, became potent symbols of memory and mortality. Editor: Absolutely, the cemetery itself, beyond being a place of rest, functions as a cultural repository. Each tomb is laden with iconography—urns signifying the soul, obelisks, a reaching for eternity. Curator: Laughlin used these spaces to explore the societal anxieties surrounding death, decay, and the passage of time. New Orleans, with its history of epidemics and unique burial practices, offered rich material. Editor: The symbolism is powerful. The 'unending stream' perhaps referring to the continuous flow of life and death, or perhaps, the spiritual river separating our world from the next. Curator: It's a fascinating juxtaposition of cultural history and personal introspection, isn't it? Editor: Indeed, Laughlin masterfully transforms a seemingly static landscape into a dynamic exploration of human anxieties and hopes.