Charity, Public: United States. Massachusetts. Bridgewater. State Farm: State Farm: Stock Yard c. 1903

Curator: I’m immediately struck by the almost claustrophobic feeling of this image. Editor: This is "Charity, Public: United States. Massachusetts. Bridgewater. State Farm: State Farm: Stock Yard," taken by Bass Photo. It shows a stockyard, presumably at the State Farm in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. Curator: The State Farm, huh? I suppose the proximity of the livestock to the, shall we say, charitable institution, probably sent a clear message about where sustenance came from. And survival too. Editor: Exactly! Cattle often represent wealth and sustenance; their presence emphasizes the state’s capacity to care for its dependents. But I also see the regimented buildings in the background. Curator: You're right! The scene is about more than just sustenance. It's a snapshot of a very specific, probably very structured, ecosystem. A rather stark, yet necessary one. Editor: It is interesting how those two images, the cows and the buildings, intertwine. It's about the provision of material goods, of course, but it’s also about order and control. Curator: Yes. It feels, in a way, like a perfectly balanced equation. A visual representation of the State Farm system as a whole.