Races, Negroes: United States. Virginia. Hampton. Hampton Normal and Industrial School: Agencies Promoting Assimilation of the Negro. Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute, Hampton, Va.: One End of the Museum. c. 1900

Curator: This photograph by Frances Benjamin Johnston captures "One End of the Museum" at the Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute. The photograph is part of a larger project titled "Agencies Promoting Assimilation of the Negro." Editor: It's a very still image, almost haunting. The light seems to isolate the objects; I can sense a weight, a silence, hanging in the air. Curator: That stillness is deliberate, I believe. Johnston was commissioned to document the school's mission, and it represents an intentional display of cultural artifacts. The "assimilation" in the title speaks volumes about the historical context. Editor: Indeed. Look at the array of objects: busts, weaponry, textiles. The fireplace is adorned with plates. Each item placed for visual instruction, yet the emptiness suggests something else. Curator: It's a curated space, designed to both educate and subtly shift cultural allegiance through material culture. The very act of display is a statement of power, what is considered worth showing and to whom. Editor: These objects likely carried significant symbolic weight for the students, prompting complex negotiations of identity. Considering the project title, I can't help but wonder about the psychological impact these objects had. Curator: Precisely. The photo is a powerful reminder of the complicated role institutions can play in shaping cultural narratives and individual identities. Editor: It certainly encourages critical reflection on the relationship between art, culture, and the broader currents of history.