Untitled (cars in indoor Cadillac lot) 1954

Curator: This is an untitled photograph by Jack Gould, housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. It depicts cars in an indoor Cadillac lot. Editor: My initial impression is eerie; the reversed tones give it a ghostly, almost x-ray-like feel, focusing my attention on the industrial mechanics and forms of the vehicles. Curator: Indeed, the high contrast draws attention to the forms, stripping away the superficial glamour often associated with Cadillacs. It makes you consider how these machines are made, maintained, and ultimately, disposed of. Editor: I find it interesting that Gould chose to photograph the cars indoors, where they are stored but static—it takes away the open road romanticism, emphasizing the material object. Each car looks like it's plugged into life support. Curator: Yes! It could be interpreted as a commentary on consumerism, or even a foreshadowing of obsolescence. I wonder about the labor conditions in the factory. Editor: Exactly. Even in a state of inaction, these vehicles are products of immense energy and labor. It makes you ponder the scale of production. Curator: For me, this image evokes feelings of nostalgia, while also making me think about the cyclical nature of things—birth, life, death, even in the world of machines. Editor: I agree; seeing them lined up like this, ready to be consumed or perhaps discarded, highlights their materiality and their connection to the broader economic system.