Untitled (man at desk talking on telephone) c. 1950

Editor: Here we have an untitled photograph by Jack Gould, depicting a man on the telephone at his desk. The material quality of the photograph, especially the visible border markings, is really striking. What do you make of it? Curator: I see the image not just as a portrait, but as a record of photographic production. The "ODAK SAFETY FILM" markings and the negative state foreground the labor and materials involved. It encourages us to think about the process of image-making. Editor: That's fascinating. So, you're saying the image itself highlights its own construction? Curator: Precisely. It makes us question the seemingly transparent nature of photography and consider its materiality. The desk, the phone, even the man's suit - all are products of industry and labor themselves. Editor: I see what you mean. It's less about the man and more about the system that produced the image and his environment. Thanks, I'll never see photos the same way again!