Untitled (man reading in chair, next to wood stove) c. 1950

Editor: This intriguing, undated photograph by Jack Gould presents a man engrossed in reading beside a wood stove. It has a certain stillness to it. What draws your eye when you look at it? Curator: It’s the quiet domesticity, isn't it? That stove, practically a character itself with all its rococo flourishes, juxtaposed with the everyday act of reading. I wonder what he's reading, lost in thought, perhaps escaping the quiet of the room. Editor: Yes, there is a story here. The composition does a good job of making it clear. Thanks for sharing your perspective! Curator: And thank you for noticing it! It’s funny how an image can feel both specific to a time and also timeless, right?