Untitled (Beck Plumbing company window) c. early 1930s

Curator: Here we have John Deusing's "Untitled (Beck Plumbing company window)." It's a stark, black-and-white photograph in the Harvard Art Museums collection. Editor: It feels like a ghost town. The way the image is inverted gives it such an eerie feeling, like looking at a building from a different dimension. Curator: Considering Deusing's work, this image provides a great example of how commercial spaces were perceived and presented, and how photography was employed to record these everyday scenes. Editor: It's oddly beautiful, though! The sign almost looks like a portal, inviting you into a world of pipes and wrenches. I wonder what Beck Plumbing was like back then. Curator: It certainly makes you reflect on the passage of time and the evolution of our urban landscapes. Editor: Definitely food for thought next time my faucet springs a leak. Thanks for the plumbing history lesson!