Races, Negroes: United States. Virginia. Hampton. Hampton Normal and Industrial School: Agencies Promoting the Assimilation of the Negro. Training for Commercial and Industrial Employment. Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute, Hampton, Va.: Boys in Manual Training. 1899 - 1900

Curator: What strikes me first is the ordered precision in this black-and-white photograph. The young men at their workbenches, the neat rows, it speaks of control. Editor: Indeed. This image, by Frances Benjamin Johnston, captures a manual training class at the Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute. It's part of a series documenting the assimilation of African Americans through education. Curator: The aprons and tools take on added meaning when viewed through the lens of assimilation. Note how they are presented, symbols of a particular kind of progress, of industry, and, perhaps, even subjugation. Editor: Absolutely. Hampton was founded after the Civil War with the mission of training Black students in trades. It was underpinned by complex social and political motivations. Curator: The symmetry and almost rhythmic repetition of form across the image serve to reinforce a narrative, not merely of vocational training, but one of societal transformation through manual labor. Editor: A fascinating intersection of pedagogy and power dynamics made visible through Johnston's lens. It makes you wonder about the lived realities behind this seemingly ordered scene. Curator: Precisely. It prompts us to consider the broader implications of such images and the agendas they might serve. Editor: Food for thought, certainly, as we consider the politics embedded within this historical frame.