Defectives, Epileptics: United States. Massachusetts. Palmer. State Hospital for Epileptics: Men's Hospital. 1906

Curator: Let’s look at this photograph titled "Defectives, Epileptics: United States. Massachusetts. Palmer. State Hospital for Epileptics: Men's Hospital," attributed to Woodhead Studio. Editor: Stark. It’s the building material for me; the sheer number of bricks. You know how much labor went into producing each one. Curator: It’s a document of a specific history, reflecting early 20th-century attitudes towards mental health and disability. It speaks volumes about institutionalization. Editor: Exactly. And those rows of windows suggest a systematized way of viewing bodies, like objects under observation. This photographic record is as much about control as it is about care. Curator: It prompts us to consider the power dynamics inherent in the representation of vulnerable populations, and how photography can reinforce those power structures. Editor: I agree. The photo almost becomes part of the system. It invites us to consider the ethics of seeing, of documenting, and who benefits from these images.