Yetta Finkelstein & Family, New York, NY

Lewis Hine caption: Mrs. Finkelstein, 127 Monroe St. Bessie (age 13), Sophie (age 7). Girls attend school. Making garters for Liberty Garter works, 413 Broadway. Mother, a widow, earns 75 cents a day by working all day until 12 at night. Bessie works until 10 P.M. Sophie until 9 … [Read more...]

Mary Mauro & Family, New York, NY

Lewis Hine caption: 5 P.M. Mrs. Mary Mauro, 309 E. 110th St., 2nd floor. Family work on feathers. Make $2.25 a week. In vacation 2 or 3 times as much. Victoria, 8 yrs. Angelina 10 yrs. (a neighbor). Frorandi 10 yrs. Maggie 11 yrs. All work except two boys against wall. Father is … [Read more...]

Pasquale Salvo, Pittston, Pennsylvania

Lewis Hine caption: A young leader and a driver, Shaft #6, Pennsylvania Coal Company. Pasquale Salvo and Sandy Castina. Location: Pittston, Pennsylvania, January 1911. Lewis Hine caption: Mule power and motor power. A Young Driver, Shaft #6, Pennsylvania Coal Company. … [Read more...]

Arthur Havard, South Pittston, Pennsylvania

Lewis Hine caption: Arthur Havard, a young driver, Shaft #6, Pennsylvania Coal Company. Location: South Pittston, Pennsylvania, December 1910. "Looking at the Lewis Hine photographs and learning what they meant has caused me to have an even higher regard for him. Just to be … [Read more...]

Joseph Puma, Pittston, Pennsylvania

Lewis Hine caption: At the close of the day. Just up from the shaft. All work below ground in a Pennsylvania Coal Mine. Smallest boy, next to right hand end is a nipper. On his right is Arthur, a driver, Jo on Arthur's right is a nipper. Frank, boy on left end of photo, is a … [Read more...]

Neil Gallagher, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

Lewis Hine caption: One-legged Boy from Pennsylvania Coal Mine. See 954. L. W. H. Location: Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania. November, 1909. Lewis Hine caption: National Child Labor Committee No. 954. 1-legged boy. Neil Gallagher, Wilkes Barre, Pa. Born January 14, … [Read more...]

Vance Palmer, Harrison County, West Virginia

Lewis Hine caption: Vance, a Trapper Boy, 15 years old. Has trapped for several years in a West Va. Coal mine. $.75 a day for 10 hours work. All he does is to open and shut this door: most of the time he sits here idle, waiting for the cars to come. On account of the intense … [Read more...]

Louis & Morris Shuman, Dallas, Texas

Lewis Hine caption: Six-year old boy, Louis Shuman, and his 11 year old brother. Dallas Newsboys. The little fellow usually has a brother who makes him do most of the work. Dallas has too many of these little newsies. Location: Dallas, Texas, October 1913. "When I was studying … [Read more...]

Rudolph & Louis Kartous, Dallas, Texas

Lewis Hine caption: Seven year old Rudie Kartis, and brother, Louis, 9 years old. The older brother soon finds little one is a drawing card. Location: Dallas, Texas, October 1913. Rudoph Kartous mentioned article below. "The Newsboys of Dallas," from The Survey, Vol. … [Read more...]

Odell McDuffey & Sam Stillman, Dallas, Texas

Lewis Hine caption: Two six-year old newsboys. Odell McDuffy, Sam Stillman, Dallas. There are many other of six and seven years selling here. Location: Dallas, Texas, October 1913. "He played for the Panhandle Oil Company, in the Texas League. He was a pitcher. He had a … [Read more...]

Rosa & Exie Phillips, Dallas, Texas

Lewis Hine caption: Rosy Phillips. Fifteen year old spinner in a Dallas cotton mill. She was far from "rosy" - thin, anaemic. Prematurely old. Her brother Exie [?] twelve years old who helps her some on Saturdays. He said: "I can't get a steady job, but I can help her all I want … [Read more...]

Leila Prater, Dallas, Texas

Lewis Hine caption: Leila Prater, Virginia K. Johnson Home, Dallas, Tex. According to the records of the house physician, one third of the girls in this institution come from the farms, and began work at cotton picking, at seven and eight years of age. Leila had been working in a … [Read more...]

Blizzard family, Kempton, Maryland

John Vachon caption: The Blizzard family, Kempton, West Virginia, May 1939, John Vachon. (*Note: the photo was taken in Kempton, Maryland, not West Virginia). "I agree that we were a poor family, but I don't see how we could've been that bad off. We were living on a small farm … [Read more...]

Patton family, Robinson, Illinois

John Vachon caption: Wife and child of FSA (Farm Security Administration) tenant purchase borrower, Crawford County, Illinois, May 1940. According to the Library of Congress: “The photographs in the Farm Security Administration…form an extensive pictorial record of American … [Read more...]

Nat Williamson family, Guilford County, North Carolina

John Vachon caption: Nat Williamson with wife and one child. Guilford County, North Carolina, April 1938. In April and May of 1938, John Vachon was in his second full year as a traveling photographer for the Farm Security Administration (FSA). While on the road in Georgia, he … [Read more...]

Charles Thompson, Michigan, North Dakota

John Vachon caption: Michigan, North Dakota, October 1940. "I miss talking to him. He was always interested in what we did. He took the time to listen. He didn't pass judgment. He taught me about responsibility. You do the best job you can do whatever it is you want to be. You … [Read more...]

Bettenhausen family, McIntosh County, North Dakota

John Vachon caption: Bettenhausen children. McIntosh County, North Dakota. November 1940. "Oliver Jr., Neil and I always seemed to be working with Dad's tools in the workshop. Even after many reminders not to get into ‘my tools,' we managed to go to the tool shop and try to … [Read more...]

Miksch family, Liberty Township, Kansas

John Vachon caption: The Misch family, tenant purchase borrowers. Labette County, Kansas, November 1940. "I remember Mom and Dad laughing about it. The photographer dropped by one morning and wanted to take a picture of the kitchen cabinets we had just put in. My brothers were … [Read more...]

Henry Calvin Richardson, Oregon County, Missouri

John Vachon caption: H.C. Richardson, Ozark farmer, with goat skin which has been bleached and washed. He sells these in town, three dollars. Oregon County, Missouri, November 1940. "When I was growing up in Thayer, Missouri, Granddad Richardson lived with his son Jack in a … [Read more...]

Lansing family, Ross County, Ohio

John Vachon caption: The Lansing family, FSA (Farm Security Administration) borrowers. Ross County, Ohio, October 1940. "My parents probably used the money to buy the house and the land. I don't know what would have happened to them if they hadn't been able to do that." … [Read more...]