Untitled (animals in zoo band; a monkey playing the piano) c. 1950

Curator: This peculiar photograph comes to us from Jack Gould and is titled *Untitled (animals in zoo band; a monkey playing the piano)*. Editor: My first impression? Sheer whimsy mixed with a touch of existential dread. Look at those eyes! Curator: Indeed! The composition is striking, isn't it? The stark contrast, the monkey's focused gaze... It's as if Gould is commenting on the human condition through this surreal tableau. Editor: Perhaps, or maybe he just found a monkey tickling the ivories irresistibly funny. I choose to believe it is funny. Curator: Humor and pathos, sometimes hard to disentangle. Whatever Gould intended, it's a memorable image. Editor: Absolutely. It's one of those images that sticks with you, prompting a smile, a question, or maybe just a bit of quiet contemplation.