Defectives, Epileptics: United States. Massachusetts. Palmer. State Hospital for Epileptics: 1904. Boiler house. 1904

Curator: This photograph by Woodhead Studio, taken in 1904, is titled "Defectives, Epileptics: United States. Massachusetts. Palmer. State Hospital for Epileptics: 1904. Boiler house." Editor: It's stark, isn't it? A desolate quiet hangs in the air, despite the industrial setting. Curator: The composition really highlights the contrast between the massive, almost menacing boilers and the mundane details – the coat hanging on the wall, the framed pictures. Editor: Right! The visual grammar speaks of power and control, but those smaller elements, the human touches, hint at the lives within. Curator: It's a loaded image, inviting us to reflect on the lives of those within this institution. Editor: Leaving us to consider the stories held within those walls and the shadows they cast, even today.