Untitled (chimp playing a large drum) c. 1950

Editor: This photograph by Jack Gould shows a chimpanzee in costume playing a large drum, and it strikes me as quite surreal and theatrical. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The chimp, a symbol of the wild, juxtaposed with the drum, an instrument of ritual and performance, creates a powerful tension. What memories and cultural associations does this image evoke for you? Editor: It feels a bit unsettling, like a commentary on the performance of identity. Curator: Precisely. The layers of costuming, the backdrop, the act of playing—they all speak to how we frame and understand ourselves and others. Editor: It’s interesting how a simple image can hold so much cultural weight. Curator: Indeed. And the negative adds another layer of mystery.