Untitled (enormous crowd of people on city street, seen from above) c. 1950

Editor: This photograph by Jack Gould, titled "Untitled (enormous crowd of people on city street, seen from above)," really gives you a sense of the sheer scale of humanity. What collective memory do you think this image evokes? Curator: It's a fascinating image, isn't it? Consider how crowds have historically symbolized both power and vulnerability. Think of religious pilgrimages, political rallies, or even riots. Editor: So, the crowd itself becomes a symbol? Curator: Precisely. The faces, though indistinct, form a collective identity, charged with purpose. The aerial perspective almost turns them into a single, breathing organism. Editor: I never considered the crowd as a symbol. Curator: Perhaps this photograph prompts us to consider the psychology of belonging, and the potent symbolism inherent in a multitude gathered as one.