Untitled (neon lights at night ; a waiter) c. 1950

Curator: Jack Gould's petite untitled photograph captures a neon sign depicting a waiter, his tray laden, glowing against the night. It resides within the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: Ooh, it's got that vintage, after-dark feel, like Edward Hopper went electric. I feel a little melancholy, a little buzzed just looking at it. Curator: The image speaks to post-war America's burgeoning service industry, reflecting societal shifts in labor and leisure. The waiter, eternally serving, becomes a symbol of class and economic structure. Editor: I love that! And, the neon feels so immediate and fleeting. Like a memory half-formed. It whispers of roadside diners and cheap cocktails, promises both kept and broken. Curator: Precisely. The photograph also engages with the objectification of labor within capitalist frameworks, rendering the human figure as mere signifier. Editor: For me, it's simpler. It’s romantic in a gritty way, a reminder that beauty and stories can be found in the most unexpected corners. Curator: It serves as a potent reminder of art's capacity to reflect and critique the social realities we inhabit. Editor: I'll raise a glass to that… or maybe a neon cocktail.