Defectives, Epileptics: United States. Massachusetts. Palmer. State Hospital for Epileptics: 1906. Boiler Room and employees. 1906

Curator: This photograph by Woodhead Studio, taken around 1906, is titled "Defectives, Epileptics: United States. Massachusetts. Palmer. State Hospital for Epileptics: 1906. Boiler Room and employees." Editor: It’s a stark image, isn't it? The men standing before the boiler room exude a quiet strength despite the title. I wonder what symbols of labor and institutional power are at play here. Curator: The image comes from a time when institutions categorized and labeled individuals, often stripping them of agency. The boiler room itself symbolizes the industrial, almost mechanistic approach to care during that era. Editor: Yes, the boiler room almost becomes a crucible – a place of intense pressure and transformation, reflecting society’s attempt to process and control those deemed "defective". Their clothing reads like symbols, too, telling of their individual roles within the larger system. Curator: Indeed. It's a powerful reminder of how language and visual representation can shape our understanding of disability and institutional power. Editor: Absolutely. Hopefully, we can see them beyond the labels, as individuals enduring a specific place and time.