Races, Negroes: United States. Virginia. Hampton. Hampton Normal and Industrial School: Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute, Hampton, Va.: Cottage and shop built and used by an exstudent of Hampton. 1899 - 1900

Curator: Here we have a photographic print from Frances Benjamin Johnston, titled "Races, Negroes: United States. Virginia. Hampton." It seems to capture two scenes, a small cottage and an interior workshop. Editor: The immediate feeling is one of self-sufficiency, almost pioneer-like. The humble architecture, the tools... It speaks of making do, creating one's own space. Curator: Indeed. This image likely documents the Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute, a historically Black college focused on vocational training. We can see a student-built cottage and a workshop within the school. Editor: So, the composition... two squares neatly placed, emphasizing the duality of living and labor. The formal elements are almost too clean, too organized for the raw reality implied. Curator: Perhaps Johnston wanted to portray a sense of order and accomplishment amidst hardship? The images together speak to the ethos of the school. Editor: It's a striking study in contrasts; the smallness of the cottage versus the apparent complexity of the tasks in the workshop. Each image, however, reveals a determination to create. Curator: Exactly. Johnston's photo invites contemplation of the legacy of institutions like Hampton. Editor: It certainly makes you think about the objects we surround ourselves with, and how they define our sense of self.