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.: Plastering. 1899 - 1900

Editor: This photograph by Frances Benjamin Johnston, titled "Plastering," shows three men at work. It evokes a sense of quiet industry. What symbols do you see in this image? Curator: The plaster itself is a potent symbol of building, of construction – not just of walls, but of lives and futures. These men, through their skilled labor, participate in a larger narrative of progress and assimilation. Notice how their focused expressions echo the hope for economic and social mobility. Editor: So, the act of plastering represents more than just construction? Curator: Exactly. The image subtly points to the Hampton Institute's mission: vocational training as a pathway to empowerment, while also touching on the complexities inherent in the concept of "assimilation." What does it mean to build a new identity on old foundations? Editor: That gives me a lot to think about. The layers of meaning here are truly fascinating.