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

Editor: This photograph by William A. Webster, titled "Defectives, Feeble-minded," shows a gymnastics class at the Massachusetts School for the Feeble-Minded. The scene feels incredibly staged and unsettling. What’s your perspective on the image's historical context? Curator: The image reveals much about the history of institutionalization and eugenics. The title itself reflects the now-discredited language used to categorize people with disabilities. Consider how such images were used to justify segregation and control under the guise of care. What does the ordered, almost militaristic, arrangement of the students suggest to you? Editor: It definitely highlights the power dynamics at play, how the institution sought to normalize and control these individuals. I hadn't considered the implications of the staging so explicitly. Curator: Exactly. Photography became a tool to classify and control marginalized groups. Reflect on how the image's circulation reinforced societal biases and what we can learn from this uncomfortable history. Editor: This really makes you think about the role art plays in shaping public opinion and social control. Thanks for making it clear.