Untitled (child on crutches with nurse) c. 1950

Editor: This photograph by Jack Gould pictures a child on crutches with a nurse, and I find myself drawn to the clinical starkness of the scene. What strikes you about this image? Curator: The photograph's power resides in its institutional context. The cold, tiled walls and the nurse's watchful presence speak to the history of medical care and its often impersonal nature. Editor: So, it’s about the setting influencing our understanding? Curator: Precisely. How do socio-political structures, in this case healthcare, impact individual experience? How might the public presentation of such images affect perceptions of disability? Editor: I hadn’t considered the broader implications. It's more than just a portrait; it's a commentary. Curator: Indeed. The photographer prompts us to question the relationship between the individual, the institution, and the gaze of the viewer. Editor: That’s given me a lot to think about. Thanks!