Disturbing images document a time when those with undesirable genetic traits were sterilised or killed in order to ‘cleanse’ society

Phoebe Weston::

These images have been released today from the the Library of Congress archive.

Advocates of eugenics made significant advances during the early twentieth century – and claimed that ‘undesirable’ genetic traits such as dwarfism, deafness and even minor defects like a cleft palate needed to be wiped out of the gene pool.

Scientists would measure the human skulls of felons in an effort to eradicate criminality – whilst other eugenic proponents suggested simply cutting out entire groups of people because of the colour of their skin.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4631996/Haunting-photographs-reveal-dark-story-eugenics.html#ixzz4l1pzAL11
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