Untitled (boy in flippers and mask sitting on deck by pool) c. 1950

Curator: Jack Gould's small, almost dreamlike photograph shows a child in flippers and a mask sitting poolside. It's titled "Untitled (boy in flippers and mask sitting on deck by pool)". The print is quite small. What's your initial take? Editor: There's a haunting quality to this. The inverted tones create an ethereal feel, almost as if the child is emerging from a submerged world, reflecting perhaps the alienation and otherness that children often grapple with. Curator: Absolutely. There's a quiet vulnerability. The flippers and mask, symbols of aquatic adventure, seem almost too large, dwarfing the child and adding to this sense of isolation, a solitary figure poised between two worlds. Editor: And it speaks to the broader societal pressures children face, the expectations placed upon them to perform, to explore, to conquer, even in their leisure. The pool becomes a metaphor for the challenges of growing up. Curator: It also makes me think about the anticipation of the plunge—that moment of hesitation before diving into the unknown. A lovely meditation. Editor: Indeed, Jack Gould’s image becomes a poignant commentary on childhood, identity, and the complex relationship between the individual and their environment.