Social Settlements: United States. New York. New York City. "Christ Church House": Christ Church House, New York City: Boys' Sloyd Class 1905. 1905

Curator: This photograph by Percy C. Byron, titled "Boys' Sloyd Class 1905," captures a woodworking class at the Christ Church House in New York City. Editor: It's fascinating, almost sepia-toned with this air of focused industry. It feels so earnest, but also a little sad, like childhood caught in amber. Curator: "Sloyd" refers to a system of manual training that emphasized useful skills. This image documents the social settlements movement, focused on providing educational opportunities to urban youth. Look at the boys' matching aprons! Editor: The aprons signal a kind of uniformity, right? A collective identity formed through labor. I wonder if they felt empowered or just... worked. Curator: The materiality of the image itself—the photographic paper, the printing process—tells a story of mass production, yet also individual experience. These classes would have been seen as a means to social mobility, teaching valuable skills. Editor: I can almost smell the sawdust, the wood shavings. So many layers here, from the boys’ hands to the final product. It’s like we're looking at the intersection of intention and outcome. Curator: Exactly. It's a potent reminder that the objects we create are embedded with the labor and aspirations of those who make them. Editor: And a reminder, too, that art often emerges from unexpected places, like a church basement where boys learn to build something lasting.