Housing, Conditions: United States. Massachusetts. Lowell. Tenements in French, Greek, and Polish Districts: Environment after Immigration, Perpetuation of European Standards in America, Housing Conditions, Lowell, Mass. c. 1903

Editor: This photo, "Housing, Conditions," captures tenements in Lowell, Massachusetts, around the turn of the century. The stark black and white really emphasizes the crowded conditions. What stands out to you about the materiality and production of this image? Curator: This image serves as a document of immigrant labor and living conditions. The photographer, Hope, likely aimed to expose the realities of industrial-era housing. Notice the framing and the textual annotations; they highlight the exploitation inherent in perpetuating "European standards" in America. Who benefited from these living conditions and how? Editor: So, it's not just about the buildings, but about the social system that produced them? Curator: Precisely. The construction materials, the cramped spaces, the very act of photographing—all speak to a system of labor, immigration, and class. It challenges us to think about the relationship between the built environment and the people who inhabit and produce it.