Defectives, Epileptics: United States. Massachusetts. Palmer. State Hospital for Epileptics: New filter bed at Farm Group #3. 1907.

Editor: This photograph by Woodhead Studio, taken in 1907, documents the Palmer State Hospital's new filter bed. It feels very matter-of-fact, but the title is so loaded. What’s your take on this image, especially given the historical context? Curator: It's a landscape imbued with social history. I see a field, a functional construction, and a group of figures. The matter-of-factness emphasizes the supposed progress of the time, sanitizing the lives of those deemed "defective." It makes you wonder, doesn’t it, about what stories remain untold within this seemingly neutral image? Editor: Absolutely, it is unsettling when considering the context. Thank you! Curator: My pleasure, it has been a thought-provoking discussion.