Untitled (standing and seated woman at DAR meeting) c. 1950

Curator: This is an untitled photograph by Jack Gould, taken at a Daughters of the American Revolution meeting. It’s a small gelatin silver print. Editor: Immediately, I notice the stark contrasts, almost like an x-ray. You can practically feel the starch in those hats. Curator: Yes, it's interesting how the negative space emphasizes the crispness of their attire. I wonder what sort of labor was involved in constructing the clothing, the hats… Editor: Precisely! All of that specialized work, all that attention to detail… and then the photograph itself, a process of capturing and preserving this moment of feminine craft and labor. Curator: It really does make you consider the textures of society. The choices, the restrictions… Editor: And the quiet power these women found, gathering together. Curator: I feel a strange sense of respect, looking at this image. Editor: I find it amazing to consider how such an ordinary image can reveal so much about work.