Untitled (man and woman sitting on opposite sides of desk) 1954

Curator: This is an Untitled work by Jack Gould, part of the Harvard Art Museums' collection. It depicts a man and a woman sitting on opposite sides of a desk. Editor: It feels like a stage set, doesn't it? All the props so carefully placed. A little world contained in this tiny black and white frame. Curator: Indeed. Gould's choice of gelatin silver print as the medium, given the social context of accessible photography at the time, allowed for mass dissemination and a standardization of image-making. Editor: It’s fascinating how the negative image lends an ethereal quality, almost ghostly. I see the desk acting as a clear border between the two figures. What do you think they’re discussing? Curator: Considering the photographic process and its reliance on darkroom labor, this image speaks to a specific mode of photographic production and its social implications. Editor: For me, it's a quiet moment, a story unfolding. A shared space, yet a silent divide between these two. Curator: The image’s material existence and method of production are just as crucial as any narrative interpretation we might impose. Editor: Perhaps, but the human element, the mystery, still whispers so loudly.