Races, Negroes: United States. Virginia. Hampton. Hampton Normal and Industrial School: Agencies Promoting Assimilation of the Negro. Training for Commercial and Industrial Employment. Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute, Hampton, Va. 1899 - 1900

Editor: This photograph by Frances Benjamin Johnston, entitled "Races, Negroes: United States…," depicts students at the Hampton Normal and Industrial School. I am struck by the clear division of labor presented in the image. What's your take? Curator: The photograph presents a calculated vision of labor and assimilation. The image becomes a document of production, showcasing the school's mission to mold African Americans into a workforce. Note the emphasis on materials and the structured, almost factory-like settings. Editor: So, it's less about individual artistic expression and more about the production of a specific social narrative? Curator: Precisely. The photograph is a tool, designed to promote a particular agenda concerning labor, race, and societal integration. Editor: I never considered photography through such a lens. Thank you. Curator: A change of perspective can reveal so much.