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

Curator: Today we're looking at Frances Benjamin Johnston's photographic print, "Races, Negroes: United States. Virginia. Hampton. Hampton Normal and Industrial School," documenting domestic science training. Editor: The symmetry of the diptych, with its stark monochrome palette, gives it a very formal, almost clinical feel. Curator: Johnston's composition draws attention to the architecture of assimilation. Note how the chalkboard functions as a backdrop, reinforcing the educational setting. Editor: Precisely. The image title’s language is a blatant display of power dynamics and the erasure of cultural identity through forced assimilation. Curator: Yes, it is a harsh depiction of the pedagogical methods aimed at young Black women during this era, though the composition has a certain precision to it. Editor: While formally balanced, we can’t ignore the unsettling context of institutional control and the reduction of personhood to domestic roles. Curator: Indeed, a detailed composition that invites reflection on social structure. Editor: A poignant reminder of the contested history embedded in visual culture.