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

Editor: This photograph by William A. Webster, titled "Defectives, Feeble-minded," depicts people caning chairs at the Massachusetts School for the Feeble-Minded. There is something unsettling about the rows of tools in the background. What can you tell me about this image? Curator: The image's power lies in its unsettling juxtaposition of normalcy and institutionalization. The act of caning chairs suggests industry and rehabilitation, yet the dehumanizing title and the context of a "school for the feeble-minded" expose the eugenicist ideologies prevalent at the time. It invites us to critically examine the history of how we categorize and treat those deemed "different," and to question the power structures that perpetuate such classifications. How does it make you feel? Editor: It makes me think about how easily labels can strip people of their humanity. I didn't expect a photo of chair caning to be so thought-provoking. Curator: Precisely. The photograph challenges us to confront uncomfortable truths about our past and consider the ongoing impact of such ideologies on marginalized communities today.