Quarantine Islands

By Suzanne Révy

In 1905, the philosopher George Santayana wrote, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Though flawed, photography offers a means of remembrance through traces of visual evidence. Three shows currently on view at the Danforth Art Museum in Framingham, MA address history and memory, underscoring echoes of the past and the importance of recollection. Rachel Loischild explores the landscapes of Quarantine Islands, her decade-long study of the places where those infected with disease were isolated from general populations from the 18th through early 20th centuries. William Betcher’s Memento Mori breathes new life into anonymous faces from the Civil War era. A collective of ten women photographers known as Memory is a Verb reflect on personal and familial stories. All three shows are on view through May 24th, 2026. 

(Feature Image) “Gdańsk Gate, Poland” by Rachel Loischild, 2025, from the series Quarantine Islands, courtesy of the artist and the Danforth Art Museum, Framingham, MA.

“Angel Island” by Rachel Loischild, 2023, from the series Quarantine Islands, courtesy of the artist and the Danforth Art Museum, Framingham, MA.

“Penikese Island” by Rachel Loischild, 2022, from the series Quarantine Islands, courtesy of the artist and the Danforth Museum, Framingham, MA.

The weight of history is palpable in Rachel Loischild’s extraordinary landscapes made at sites that once isolated those infected with disease. Employing a large format camera, color film and generously sized prints, her photographs anchor the museum’s exhibitions with an emotional charge. The installation is captivating and layered, with breathtaking pictures, collage, sculpture and even scents that unite to address problematic public health issues without becoming pedantic. Images of the ocean at night are imbued with an eerie sensibility, perhaps harkening the feelings of those being ferried away to isolation facilities by boat. A hazy, late-day atmosphere dripping in humidity belies human discomfort from heat and pestilence through its lush, warm color palette. A nighttime vista with city lights sparkling on a distant horizon infers the solitude and longing that quarantined people likely felt at being geographically close but psychologically far away.

“Deer Island” by Rachel Loischild, 2020, from the series Quarantine Islands, courtesy of the artist and the Danforth Art Museum, Framingham, MA.

“Cordon Sanitaire” by Rachel Loischild, farmed willow tree branches and locally sourced wild trees from the exhibition Quarantine Islands at the Danforth Art Museum, Framingham, MA. (Installation photograph by Suzanne Révy)

These islands around the world do not easily give up their secret pasts, but Loischild offers context through ephemera and a large sculpture made of willow branches that evokes the kind of fence built around villages in Poland during an outbreak of plague. The fragrant aroma of the branches infuses the gallery with a multi-sensory atmosphere. Wall labels reveal detailed histories of public health policies in different eras and from areas around the United States and Poland. Loischild’s imaginative evocations of physical quarantines from an era of relatively sparse populations and a largely agrarian economy creates a fascinating comparison to our recent Covid experience, when public policy required our now dense populations to self-isolate in order to control the spread of disease.

From the exhibition Quarantine Islands by Rachel Loischild at the Danforth Art Museum, Framinghamd, MA. (Installation Photograph by Suzanne Révy)

“Puerto Rico Ship” by Rachel Loischild, 2023/5, layered vellum collage from postcard crops, from the exhibition Quarantine Islands on view at the Danforth Art Museum. (Installation photograph by Suzanne Révy)

Loischild’s ability to get into the field was stymied during our own pandemic era. In an effort to continue exploring these landscapes, she turned to Ebay and discovered that postcards existed of many of the islands. She began to collect, scan and collage them onto vellum, creating double-sided transparent prints. Their subtle hues conjure the experience of looking through the frosty ground glass on a large format camera, imparting both the history and mystery of a time that many would prefer we forget. In one sculptural installation, light waves are refracted through plexiglass, inviting visitors to imagine the rhythms of the ocean surrounding the islands. Isolation in quarantine largely burdened the most marginalized, forcing them to  endure neglect and often violence. Public health, of course, needs to balance the medical needs of all; after all, deadly microbes or viruses do not care a whit about the color of your skin or whether you are rich or poor. One of the greatest messages we can glean from Loischild’s deep, inspiring dive into the history of quarantines is the importance of treating the sick and suffering with compassion. 

Look for our reviews of William Betcher’s Memento Mori later this week and Memory is a Verb next week. 

For more information: https://danforth.framingham.edu/

“Vistula River, Warsaw” by Rachel Loischild, 2025, from the series Quarantine Islands, courtesy of the artist and the Danforth Art Museum, Framingham, MA.