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

Curator: This photograph, titled "Defectives, Feeble-minded: United States. Massachusetts. Waverly. School for Feeble-minded: Massachusetts School for the Feeble-Minded: Captain Ball." It's attributed to William A. Webster and captures a scene within an institution. Editor: The sepia tones and gymnasium setting create such a somber, constrained atmosphere. Those stark white circles on the floor only amplify the sense of isolation. Curator: Precisely. The image encapsulates the eugenics movement's cruel practices. The boys are visually dehumanized through uniformity and institutionalization. This connects to broader societal anxieties about intellectual disability. Editor: And it's devastating how the game, 'Captain Ball', a symbol of play, is subverted. Raising their hands, frozen mid-action, it almost resembles an unsettling ritual, devoid of joy. Curator: It's a powerful reminder of the dangers of pathologizing difference and the legacy of institutional violence. Editor: Absolutely, seeing this image compels us to confront a painful part of our past, urging reflection on the symbols we use to define normalcy.