Untitled (empty orchestra stage in front of Ferris wheel) 1952

Curator: Jack Gould created this untitled black and white photograph, currently held in the Harvard Art Museums. It depicts an empty orchestra stage in front of a Ferris wheel. Editor: It feels ghostly, like a dream of a carnival long past, or maybe one yet to come. The stark contrasts are really striking. Curator: Notice how the bare branches reach out like grasping fingers. They create a web that echoes the Ferris wheel’s structure, almost trapping the scene. Editor: And the blank stage! It's an invitation, almost a dare, to fill it with sound, with light, with life. But for now, just silence and waiting. Curator: Indeed. It speaks of transition, of the cyclical nature of entertainment and perhaps even life, from lively performances to quiet anticipation. Editor: It makes me wonder about all the unseen, unheard stories within these spaces. Curator: A powerful reminder that even in emptiness, there's potential, memory, and a story waiting to be told. Editor: Absolutely. It’s both unsettling and full of possibility.