Races, Negroes: United States. Virginia. Hampton. Hampton Normal and Industrial School: Agencies Promoting Assimilation of the Negro: Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute, Hampton, Va.: Class in Drawing. 1899 - 1900

Editor: Here we have Frances Benjamin Johnston's photograph, "Class in Drawing," taken at the Hampton Normal and Industrial School. The students' focus on their work is palpable. What stands out to you about the context of its making? Curator: Considering Johnston's work from a materialist perspective, I see a calculated effort to document the Hampton Institute's mission. The very act of photographing this classroom–the labour, the photographic process, the intended audience–speaks volumes about the complex social engineering at play. How does the image's circulation contribute to ideas of assimilation? Editor: That's a powerful point. I hadn’t considered how the photograph itself becomes part of the assimilation process. Thank you. Curator: Indeed, by examining the means of production and the context, we begin to see the photograph not just as a record but as an active participant in a larger social narrative.