Untitled (people gathered around table learning to tie scarves) c. 1950

Curator: This is an untitled photograph by Jack Gould, housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It feels like a strange inversion of a normal photograph. What I see first are the stark whites and the sense of an everyday scene turned uncanny. Curator: It depicts a group gathered around a table, seemingly learning to tie scarves. The very banality of the scene, framed in this negative image, begs questions about social dynamics, and the power structures inherent in instruction. Editor: Exactly. The material process itself is interesting here too—the photographic negative, a stage usually unseen, laid bare. This emphasizes the constructed nature of the image, drawing attention to its creation. Curator: The composition certainly guides our reading; the figures arranged around the table suggest community, while the negative image adds a layer of estrangement. What is 'normal' and who is performing for the camera? Editor: And who gets to decide that? The means of production are just as important as the final image. It really makes you consider the societal context of photographic work. Curator: Absolutely. This image makes me consider who is included and excluded from the institutions reflected in the artwork. Editor: Yes, the choice to present this negative reveals how photography is also about selection and omission. Food for thought!