Untitled (two boys playing leapfrog) 1961

Curator: This small gelatin silver print, currently held at the Harvard Art Museums, is titled "Untitled (two boys playing leapfrog)" by Jack Gould. Editor: It’s like a fleeting summer afternoon distilled into a square—makes you remember scraped knees and endless blue skies. Curator: It's interesting, isn't it, how such a simple scene evokes such powerful memories. The photograph feels almost performative, capturing a slice of mid-century suburban life. Editor: Exactly! There's something almost theatrical about it, like they’re playing to an audience that only the camera can see. Curator: Perhaps Gould aimed to frame the simple pleasures of youth, to freeze a moment of collective play. The absence of adult figures reinforces the agency and independence of these children. Editor: For me, it's about the pure joy of movement – that brief moment of weightlessness. It’s almost enough to make you want to try leapfrog again. Curator: The image indeed speaks to the timeless nature of play and its inherent human connection. Editor: Absolutely. It’s just... nice. And sometimes, that’s everything you need from art.