Races, Negroes: United States. Virginia. Hampton. Hampton Normal and Industrial School: Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute, Hampton, Va.: Gen. S.C. Armstrong. Founder. c. 1903

Curator: This is a portrait of General Samuel Chapman Armstrong. The Harvard Art Museums attribute this gelatin silver print of Armstrong to Frances Benjamin Johnston, who documented the Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute. Editor: He presents a formidable figure. The high contrast and tight composition emphasize his austere gaze. Is it meant to convey strength or perhaps even a touch of severity? Curator: Johnston made numerous photographic studies at Hampton. Her work served not just as documentation, but also as a form of institutional promotion, emphasizing the school's mission of industrial and agricultural training. Editor: The image feels symbolic; Armstrong, in his dark suit, embodies the paternalistic attitude of the school. He is like a father figure, standing between two worlds. Curator: His clothing signifies a specific class and industry, contrasting with the agricultural labor the students were being trained for. Johnston's lens captures the complex power dynamics at play within the school's system. Editor: It's a stark, powerful image. The visual symbols clearly reveal the complicated nature of education and race relations during that era. Curator: Indeed, Johnston's work, viewed through a materialist lens, provides invaluable context about the production and circulation of images in shaping perceptions of race and labor.