Untitled (butcher behind meat counter selling meat to customers) 1945

Editor: This gelatin silver print by Jack Gould depicts a busy butcher shop, with a crowd of customers waiting to be served. The high contrast is striking. What do you see in this photograph? Curator: Consider the butcher's position; he stands as a gatekeeper, mediating between the raw materials and the consuming public. Is he a provider, or an arbiter of societal norms surrounding consumption? Editor: So, the butcher isn't just selling meat; he embodies a larger cultural role? Curator: Precisely! The image invites us to reflect on how food connects us to tradition and power, and to contemplate how those roles are represented in visual culture. Editor: That's a powerful idea, it changes how I see the whole image. Thanks for sharing your insights!