Untitled (gorilla in zoo smoking cigar) c. 1951

Curator: This photograph, by Jack Gould, titled “Untitled (gorilla in zoo smoking cigar),” offers a striking image of captivity. Editor: The overwhelming sepia tone lends an antique feel, while the composition—bars, the animal, the hand—creates immediate visual tension. Curator: Absolutely. The act of offering the gorilla a cigar is loaded, raising questions about animal exploitation and the power dynamics within zoos. It speaks to the broader history of zoos as sites of colonial encounter. Editor: The bars create a strong grid, segmenting the visual field and trapping the subject. The hand seems to violate this geometric order, but only to reinforce the captivity. Curator: The gesture is dehumanizing, treating the gorilla as an object of amusement, complicit in its own subjugation. Editor: I do concede the work is unsettling when the interplay between form and the subject’s predicament coalesce. Curator: Agreed. It encourages a critical reflection on our relationship with the natural world.