Untitled (torah-shaped cake at bar mitzvah) c. 1950

Editor: This is an untitled photograph by John Howell of a Torah-shaped cake at a Bar Mitzvah. It's a simple black and white print, but there’s something… I don’t know… both celebratory and strangely solemn about it. What do you see in this piece? Curator: It makes me think about how we mark sacred moments. The cake, mimicking the Torah, becomes a sweet symbol of tradition passed down. The inverted print makes it a mysterious, ghost-like, memory. The faces are faded but still full of joy and anticipation. What do you imagine the room sounded like? Editor: I bet there was music. And maybe the taste of sugar. It's a really lovely slice of life, pun intended. Curator: Exactly! It freezes a fleeting moment, transforming the ordinary into something extraordinary.