Untitled (lion trainer pullin lion on sled inside large cage) c. 1950

Curator: This enigmatic photograph, titled *Untitled (lion trainer pullin lion on sled inside large cage)*, is by Jack Gould. Editor: Immediately, I’m struck by the eerie calm. The monochrome palette and stark composition create a strangely dreamlike atmosphere. Curator: Right? The stark black and white highlights the contrast of power and control in the image. One being trained. One in control. Editor: And thinking about it, the circus is a highly structured, performative space. The labor involved in animal training, the means of production, are all veiled beneath the spectacle. Curator: True, and there's a sort of sadness to the scene, a recognition of the artificiality of it all. What does it mean to train a lion anyway? Is it a matter of safety, a means of control, or something more sinister? Editor: It's a bit unsettling, that's for sure. It makes you think about the relationship between humans, animals, and the complex systems we build around them.