"This project is a classic; it allows us to engage in a constructive dialogue about providing supportive treatment of all the members of our society, and about the importance of supplying the kind of help that special needs require.

We see very clearly that Herz feels a profound respect and love for the individuals he portrays; this empathy allows him to give us an honest representation of these people’s lives in an atmosphere of deeply shared humanity."

--Gerhard Clausing, 
from the The PhotoBook Journal - review

"This work is never easy to comb through. As a disabled person, looking at these photographs is often heartbreaking. In a history so filled with exploitation, Herz’s work often feels like a breath of fresh air.

These photographs show a deep respect for his subjects. These are not photographs taken to emphasize difference, but to emphasize humanity."

--Aurora Berger
From the essay A Shared Humanity: Photography and Institutionalization in the 20th Century

"As is evident from the individual photographs, these "children" were physically well cared for, especially given the era in which these pictures were taken.

Seeing these photographs I am overwhelmed with sorrow, sympathy and an appreciation for the human spirit. I am once again challenged as to what those of us in neuroscience research can do and learn in order to make a difference"

--David A. Hovda, Ph.D.
Professor, Division of Neurosurgery UCLA

Exhibition link

Artist Website

Other drkrm books by Ryan Herz

THE FIRST TIME I GOT WGAT I SAW

DESERT CHRIST PARK