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

Editor: This photograph by William A. Webster, titled "Defectives, Feeble-minded," shows a classroom. It's unsettling to see that language used to describe these young women. How can we understand this image in its historical context? Curator: The image presents a stark view of early 20th-century institutions and the categorization of individuals deemed "feeble-minded." Consider how social Darwinism and eugenics influenced these institutions. What role did photography play in reinforcing these ideologies? Editor: So the photograph, in a way, becomes a tool of social control and reinforces those existing power structures? Curator: Precisely. It’s vital to unpack the power dynamics inherent in the act of photographing and labeling these individuals, and how such imagery was used to justify institutionalization and social exclusion. Editor: It makes you wonder about the ethics of representation. Thank you for helping me understand the historical context of this challenging photograph. Curator: It underscores the critical role art plays in reflecting and perpetuating societal biases.