Defectives, Epileptics: United States. Massachusetts. Palmer. State Hospital for Epileptics: Power house. 1905

Editor: Here we have a photograph of the "Power house" at the Palmer State Hospital for Epileptics, taken by Woodhead Studio. The machinery is so prominent. What can you tell me about this image? Curator: Notice how the photograph frames the power machinery. It emphasizes the material production of care – the means of generating power. Consider the labor involved in both running this equipment and the context of institutionalizing people deemed "defective." Editor: So, it's less about the aesthetic and more about the process and labor behind the image? Curator: Precisely. It exposes the often-unseen materiality that underpins social structures and the treatment of marginalized groups. Editor: That gives me a lot to think about in terms of how we consume images and what they represent. Curator: Indeed, it asks us to consider the complex relationship between production, consumption, and social control.