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

Curator: This photograph by William A. Webster, titled "Defectives, Feeble-minded: United States. Massachusetts. Waverly. School for Feeble-minded: Massachusetts School for the Feeble-Minded.: Sloyd Class," offers a glimpse into early 20th-century education. Editor: The subdued tones and the focused concentration of the figures create a very somber, almost claustrophobic atmosphere. Curator: Yes, the "Sloyd Class" refers to a system of manual training that emphasized woodworking. Notice how the materials – the wood, the tools – are presented as a way to instill discipline and skills. Editor: I’m struck by the repetition of the woodworking benches and the figures themselves. It evokes a sense of institutional order and perhaps control. Woodworking and crafting were seen as restorative. Curator: Exactly. The image also invites us to think about the labor involved, the societal attitudes towards disability at the time, and the means of production within this specific institution. Editor: Looking at the light filtering through the windows, it brings me back to an almost Biblical sentiment of labor being a means of redemption. Curator: It’s a poignant reminder of the complex history behind such seemingly simple scenes. Editor: Indeed, a powerful intersection of social context and symbolic representation.