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

Editor: This is "Defectives, Feeble-minded," a photographic collage by William A. Webster showing scenes from the Massachusetts School for the Feeble-Minded. The sepia tones give it such a somber feel. What strikes you about this piece? Curator: You know, it's the sheer banality of these scenes, juxtaposed with that chilling title. Look at them, caning chairs, making brushes, it's all so…ordinary. And yet, it speaks volumes about the misguided eugenics movement of the time. It’s a stark reminder of how easily we categorize and dehumanize others. Editor: I hadn’t thought of that, the ordinary against the dehumanization. It makes the title even more jarring. Curator: Exactly! It's as if Webster is holding a mirror to society, forcing us to confront our own capacity for prejudice. A pretty uncomfortable mirror, don’t you think? Editor: Definitely. I'll never look at a simple photograph the same way again.