Defectives, Epileptics: United States. Massachusetts. Palmer. State Hospital for Epileptics: Outside workers at greenhouse. 1907

Curator: Woodhead Studio’s photograph, “Defectives, Epileptics: United States. Massachusetts. Palmer. State Hospital for Epileptics: Outside workers at greenhouse,” captures a stark scene. Editor: It feels so bleak, doesn't it? The landscape is washed out, and the figures seem isolated even while working together. Curator: The photograph’s power resides in its documentary approach—depicting the labor of patients at the Palmer State Hospital, likely in an attempt to offset institutional costs. The social context is undeniably harsh. Editor: There’s a ghostliness to it, almost like they’re fading into the landscape, disappearing under the weight of their circumstances. It leaves a mark, doesn’t it? Curator: Indeed, it prompts us to consider the means of production, the exploitation of labor, and how society has historically treated marginalized individuals. Editor: It definitely makes you pause and think beyond the simple act of looking.