Untitled (rear exterior view of run-down apartment building) 1949

Curator: This is an untitled photograph by Jack Gould, currently held at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's eerie, stark—a haunted-looking apartment block rendered in this negative image. Makes the dilapidation all the more pronounced. Curator: Gould's work often captures these overlooked urban spaces. He seems drawn to the back alleys and the unglamorous facades that shape city life. This approach is indicative of a broader trend in documentary photography that attempts to reveal social realities. Editor: And what symbols do these structures carry? The external staircases—symbols of access, but also perhaps vulnerability. A peek into private lives. Also, the sense of decay; these aren't just buildings, they're containers of memory, reflecting the lives lived within them. Curator: Indeed. In the context of the Great Depression, images like these take on a poignant political dimension. These structures become symbols of both resilience and neglect, a testament to the social inequalities of the era. Editor: Ultimately, it's a reminder that even in ruin, there's a certain beauty and truth. Curator: Yes, and it pushes us to consider what we value, and who gets left behind in our collective narratives.