Untitled (Man sleeping with turtle) c. 1940s

This small, untitled black-and-white photograph shows us a man sleeping with a turtle, and was made by an anonymous photographer sometime in the past. The subject's relaxed pose suggests a moment of peaceful surrender. It is intimate and peculiar. I can't help but wonder about the relationship between the man and the turtle. What was it like to pose with a turtle in your arms, hoping for a moment of shared quiet? Was there a connection, a sense of mutual trust between them? It reminds me of some of my own attempts to capture the essence of a moment, the feeling of holding something precious. It also makes me think about the ways we interact with the world, the strange connections we form with unexpected objects and creatures.