Races, Negroes: United States. Virginia. Hampton. Hampton Normal and Industrial School: Agencies Promoting Assimilation of the Negro. Development of Social Standards Among the Negroes. Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute, Hampton, Va.: Arithmetic Class measuring brick. 1899 - 1900

Curator: This photograph by Frances Benjamin Johnston, titled "Races, Negroes: United States. Virginia. Hampton. Hampton Normal and Industrial School..." captures an arithmetic class measuring bricks. Editor: My first impression is one of both formality and staged calculation. The students are so neatly lined up and dressed; yet, there's something unsettling about this demonstration of precision, given its historical context. Curator: Yes, the image is loaded. The Hampton Institute, founded after the Civil War, aimed to educate freedmen. The act of measuring – establishing defined parameters – symbolizes the institution's role in shaping and assimilating these students into a predetermined mold. Editor: Precisely. We see a stark visual representation of power dynamics at play. The act of quantifying, measuring bricks, extends beyond arithmetic. It becomes a metaphor for measuring, and perhaps limiting, potential. Curator: However, I also see a dignified portrait. Johnston captures a moment of active learning. The bricks could symbolize building a future, a tangible path forward. Editor: That's a generous reading, given the legacy of forced labor. Ultimately, the image reflects a complicated moment where education was both a tool for liberation and a means of control. Curator: Indeed. It prompts us to examine the symbolic weight of education and assimilation. Editor: A challenging image; one that deserves a deeper look beyond its surface.