Christiana Cook, Kingston, Massachusetts, 1796 1963

Curator: This is Ann Parker's "Christiana Cook, Kingston, Massachusetts, 1796," held in the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It has a fascinating symmetry. I'm struck by the somber faces and symbolic objects. There's a real intensity. Curator: The print offers insight into the lives and representations of early African Americans in New England. Who was Christiana Cook? What did the ring, hourglass, and book signify in her world? Editor: I see the gaze, the agency of the figure pushing back against historical erasure. The print reclaims space, inviting us to consider race, representation, and power. Curator: It's a poignant look into the past, and a powerful act of visual storytelling. Editor: Indeed, making the viewer question the dominant historical narratives.