Untitled (close-up view of woman's earring shaped like a bunch of grapes) c. 1950

Editor: Here we have an untitled photograph by Jack Gould from the Harvard Art Museums, featuring a close-up of a woman's earring shaped like grapes. I find the stark contrast intriguing. What statements about status or identity do you think this work makes? Curator: That's a great question. The earring, clearly a signifier of wealth and taste, becomes the focal point. How does the photographic medium itself, and its accessibility at the time, play into the democratization, or perhaps even the commodification, of such symbols? Editor: That's something I hadn't considered, the role of photography itself! Curator: Exactly. It makes you think about how images circulate and shape our understanding of class and aspiration. Editor: Thanks, I'll definitely keep that in mind.