Untitled (Cuban revolutionaries with guns) after 1959

Editor: This gelatin silver print, "Untitled (Cuban revolutionaries with guns)" by Lester Cole, features many armed figures. They seem relaxed, but the guns create a tense mood. As a historian, what strikes you most about this image? Curator: The image's power lies in its ambiguity. The revolutionaries' ease with weapons speaks to the normalization of violence in revolutionary contexts. Who controlled the narrative around these figures, and what public role did this imagery serve? Editor: That's a great point. I didn't consider how the image might have been used to shape public opinion. Curator: Exactly. And consider how the museum's act of collecting and displaying this image continues that shaping. Editor: I see. It makes you question the intention behind sharing this picture. Curator: Precisely. It really highlights the public role of art and imagery. Editor: Thanks, your analysis gave me a totally new perspective on this photograph.