Untitled (train wreck, pipes) c. 1950

Curator: Here we have Jack Gould's small-scale photographic print from the Harvard Art Museums, aptly titled "Untitled (train wreck, pipes)." The stark black and white immediately grabs you. Editor: It’s a disorienting composition, isn't it? The inversion of light and shadow adds to the chaos, making it hard to discern a clear focal point among the wreckage. Curator: Gould, with this dramatic scene, hints at the darker side of industrial progress. It's a period where the railroad was expanding, but the human cost was substantial. Editor: The texture and form are also compelling. The smoothness of the pipes juxtaposed with the jagged metal of the train creates a disquieting visual tension. Curator: It also speaks to the relationship between industry and infrastructure; the pipes could represent further expansion, an unending cycle of progress, or the failure of infrastructure, Editor: That circularity really resonates, particularly with the pipes leading the eye back into the mangled wreckage. Curator: Indeed. It’s a stark commentary and a potent reminder of the cost of rapid industrialization during that time. Editor: Gould captured a certain somberness that lingers well beyond the photographic print.