Untitled (two men looking at monkey through cage bars) c. 1950

Curator: Here we have an untitled photograph by Jack Gould, showing two men looking at a monkey through cage bars. Editor: The image is striking – almost dreamlike in its starkness. There's a clear visual tension, the bars creating a literal and symbolic divide. Curator: Indeed. The photograph invites us to consider the relationship between humans and animals, the act of observation, and the power dynamics inherent in captivity. Editor: The monkey behind bars echoes age-old symbols of innocence and curiosity, here constrained. What does it mean when we put these symbols in cages? Curator: Perhaps Gould intended to provoke that very question, highlighting the ethical dimensions of zoos and our role as spectators. Editor: It certainly lingers in the mind, this scene. Makes you think about what we choose to see, and what we choose to confine.