Untitled (people jumping on many outdoor trampolines) c. 1950

Curator: Jack Gould’s untitled photograph presents a scene of numerous individuals on outdoor trampolines. It's part of the Harvard Art Museums collection. The dimensions are approximately 4 by 5 inches. Editor: It's stark and surreal. The repetition of trampolines, the dark sky – it feels almost dystopian, like a playground turned into something else. Curator: I see it more as capturing a moment of social recreation, perhaps indicative of post-war leisure activities, the rise of amusement and the shaping of public spaces for entertainment. Editor: But look at the uniformity. Each person isolated on their own springy square. It speaks to the commodification of play, the industrialization of fun. Where were these trampolines produced? By whom? Curator: Those are important questions. This image allows us to consider how leisure and public spaces are shaped by the dominant ideologies of the time. Editor: Indeed. It is more than just a picture of people jumping. It is a document of the production, labor, and consumption inherent in even our freest activities.