Untitled (two people sleeping on train seats) c. 1950

Editor: Here we have Jack Gould's "Untitled (two people sleeping on train seats)," a roughly 4x5 inch photograph from an unknown date, currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums. The negative effect almost makes it ghostly. What social commentary do you think Gould was aiming for? Curator: The use of the negative draws our attention to the unseen, the overlooked—perhaps mirroring the invisibility of the working class in public spaces. Consider how train travel itself became a symbol of both progress and social stratification. Editor: So, you're saying it's not just about the act of sleeping, but the context of public transportation? Curator: Precisely! How does the vulnerability of sleep in a public space reflect broader socio-economic anxieties? Editor: I hadn’t thought about it that way. I'm now seeing this photograph through a completely different lens, considering power and visibility.