Sample Solution

Photography was used to reproduce whiteness in eugenic baby books by establishing a visual hierarchy that privileged white families and children over non-white ones. The photographic images of the white babies, often taken in idyllic settings or with familial props like toys, were used to promote the idea that they were superior to other races, while simultaneously constructing a narrative around how white people viewed themselves and their place in society (Ginzberg 2020). These photographs provided an idealized version of ‘whiteness’ that was intended to be aspirational for readers. Additionally, many of these baby photos featured romanticized notions of family life which served as an aesthetic endorsement for the larger eugenic movement (Goldberg 2020).

Furthermore, these images were often captioned with descriptions that praised the child’s physical features such as eyes colour and hair texture. This language reinforced ideas about racial purity which perpetuated existing racist beliefs about different ethnic groups being inferior (Ginzberg 2020). Similarly, words like “perfection” or “beauty” were employed when referring to white children as a way of implying that this type of beauty could only be achieved through whiteness (Goldberg 2020).

By relying on photography as its primary source material Eugenic Baby Books constructed an image of whiteness as something desirable and sought after; however it also created a false dichotomy between what is considered normal/ideal versus what is not. In this way, Whiteness became synonymous with power and privilege while anything else was seen as inferior which had detrimental effects on generations even today (Ginzberg & Goldberg 2020).