Education, Popular Culture: United States. New York. New York City. Cooper Union: Agencies Promoting Assimilation of the Immigrant. Imparting American Standards to the Foreign Born: The Cooper Union, New York City: Class Room - 1900. c. 1900

Curator: This is a photograph titled "Education, Popular Culture: United States. New York. New York City. Cooper Union", attributed to Percy C. Byron, capturing a classroom scene around 1900. Editor: The sepia tones lend a heavy atmosphere. The receding rows of figures create a strong directional line. Curator: Indeed. The composition firmly directs the eye toward the lecturer on the platform, highlighting the intended focus of assimilation during that era. Editor: And what of the cultural context? Cooper Union was a bastion of progressive ideals, yet the image suggests a more forceful imposition of values. Curator: Precisely. This photograph encapsulates the complex and often contradictory attitudes towards immigration at the turn of the century. It is, in essence, a study of power. Editor: Seeing the image as a study in the mechanics of cultural power lends it a far more nuanced complexity. Thank you for that insightful perspective.