Untitled (several couples dancing) 1949

Curator: At Harvard, we have an untitled photograph by Jack Gould, simply called "several couples dancing." It's a small, intimate shot. Editor: It feels spectral, like a memory half-remembered. The reversal of light adds this strange weight to the scene. All these bodies and no faces... Curator: The image shows couples in motion. There's a sense of unity and belonging, perhaps even of joy. The dark and bright values might represent the passage of time. Editor: I'm reminded of memento mori, that awareness of mortality in dance. Yet, there's a tenderness in how they hold each other. Curator: Yes, the symbol of dance and love intertwined. Gould makes us think about connection, even in the face of uncertainty. Editor: A quiet invitation to embrace the moment. I appreciate that.