Untitled (elderly women on chairs at DAR meeting) 1948

Curator: This photograph, attributed to Jack Gould, is titled "Untitled (elderly women on chairs at DAR meeting)." It measures just 5.7 by 5.7 centimeters. Editor: The strong horizontals of the bookshelves and the women's poses create an unexpectedly stable and calm composition despite the subject matter. Curator: The negative presentation of the image impacts interpretation, doesn't it? These women, likely members of the Daughters of the American Revolution, are seated in what appears to be a domestic interior. Editor: Indeed. It subtly shifts the focus from the implied social status to a more abstracted study of form and line, almost flattening them into shapes. Curator: The mirroring in the floral curtains and the women's apparel creates symmetry but also hints at artifice, underscoring the staged aspect of social gatherings. Editor: I find the tonal reversals fascinating; it almost feels like a ghostly presence is captured within this meeting of these women. It's a very different reading than you might expect!