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

Curator: This photograph by William A. Webster captures a group of women in the "Second Fencing Position" at the Massachusetts School for the Feeble-Minded. Editor: It’s strikingly somber. The sepia tone gives it an antique feel, but there's also something haunting about the uniformity of the figures. Curator: Webster's lens offers a glimpse into the lives of these women, their bodies seemingly trained, perhaps, for discipline as much as for sport. Editor: I can’t help but consider what "feeble-minded" meant then, and the societal structures that defined and confined these women. The material conditions of the school, the fabric of their uniforms, all speak to a system. Curator: Absolutely, and there's a tension here. Is this about empowerment through physical activity, or control through regimentation? I feel the picture poses it's own question. Editor: It's a complicated image, and a stark reminder of how easily we can dehumanize others through labels and institutions.