Untitled (man with Ike poster and pin) c. 1952

Curator: This is an intriguing, undated photograph by Lester Cole, simply titled "Untitled (man with Ike poster and pin)." Editor: It's… unsettling. The inverted tones give it a ghostly quality. And that giant Eisenhower looming in the background! Curator: Indeed. The 'Ike' imagery certainly anchors it to a specific political and cultural moment. The man seems almost imprisoned by the weight of that image, or perhaps defined by it. Editor: Perhaps haunted? It’s such a personal space, yet so overtly political. I wonder what it meant for Cole. Curator: Perhaps the photograph captures the zeitgeist of the time, or the personal struggles with political identities. Editor: Well, whatever it is, it definitely sticks with you. A really strange yet thought provoking piece.