Social Settlements: United States. New York. New York City. "St. Thomas Chapel House": Children Leaving Sunday School. c. 1906

Editor: This photograph by Percy C. Byron captures children leaving St. Thomas Chapel House in New York City. The sheer number of children is striking. What can we learn from the way this image documents social settlements? Curator: Notice the materiality of the image itself—the photographic paper, the sepia tone—these speak to a specific era and the technology available. Consider how photography, as a relatively new medium, was used to document and, in a sense, "consume" social issues. Editor: So, the act of photographing is a form of engagement with the subject? Curator: Exactly. The image becomes a commodity, circulated and viewed by a public perhaps far removed from the lives of these children. The means of production and distribution are key to understanding its impact. Editor: That gives me a whole new perspective. Thanks! Curator: Indeed, thinking about the labor and materials involved opens up a deeper understanding.