Untitled (phonaudograph machine) c. 1940

Curator: Immediately, I see a stark, almost ghostly quality to this photograph, like an apparition of obsolete technology. Editor: Indeed. This is a photographic print by Durette Studio, simply titled "Untitled (phonaudograph machine)." The piece, held at the Harvard Art Museums, captures an object of recording and reproduction. Curator: The phone receiver dangling to the side—such a loaded symbol of communication. It evokes a sense of disconnection now, in our world of instant digital access. Editor: Precisely. These devices played a key role in shaping institutional memory and power. Think of their use in policing, surveillance, and the recording of witness testimony. The aesthetics of control are certainly at play here. Curator: And the very name—"phonaudograph"—suggests an attempt to make sound visible, to materialize something ephemeral. It's like capturing a ghost. Editor: It reflects a moment when technology was seen as a neutral, objective tool, a far cry from our present understanding of its inherent biases. Curator: Looking at this, I'm struck by how powerfully mundane objects can echo across time, still resonating with echoes of past hopes and anxieties. Editor: Yes, this artifact reminds us of the social narratives embedded within the history of technology itself.