Defectives, Feeble-minded: United States. Massachusetts. Waverly. School for Feeble-minded: Massachusetts School for the Feeble-Minded. c. 1903

Curator: This photographic collage, credited to William A. Webster, is titled "Defectives, Feeble-minded: United States. Massachusetts. Waverly. School for Feeble-minded: Massachusetts School for the Feeble-Minded." The sepia tones give it a somber weight. Editor: It looks like a collection of industrious scenes— workshops, sewing rooms, even a band. The material conditions seem almost… hopeful, despite the title. Curator: The title is jarring, isn't it? It speaks volumes about the social attitudes of the time. Each image offers a glimpse into the lives and activities, perhaps the intended rehabilitation, of those deemed "feeble-minded." Editor: The workshops interest me. Look at the array of potential skills being taught – woodworking, sewing. Labor, here, is explicitly a tool for social engineering, a material means to an ideological end. Curator: Indeed. And the band too – music as a form of discipline and social cohesion. Consider the cultural implications of such institutions. What societal fears are reflected here? Editor: Absolutely. Examining the material culture and labor practices within this institution forces us to confront uncomfortable truths about social control and the construction of normalcy. It's a powerful visual document.