LEWIS HINE PHOTOS: CHILD CRANBERRY PICKERS, CAPE COD &...

Top photo: A girl named “Mary Christmas, nearly 4 years old. Picks cranberries sometimes. She is now picking up berries spilled at the barrels by Grandfather. Grandpa says, “I make her pick sometimes, yes.” Location: Falmouth – Week’s Bog, Massachusetts,” Lewis Hine.

HN NOTES: I’m a big fan of the early the photography of Lewis Hine. Lewis Wickes Hine (September 26, 1874 – November 3, 1940) was an American sociologist and “muckraker” photographer, according to Wikipedia (or, in other words, a reform-minded photojournalist interested in exposing corruption). His photographs were instrumental in bringing about the passage of the first child labor laws in the United States.

It was slow last evening in terms of local crime (probably due to the sudden dip in temperature… which was 31°F at the time of this report, around 3:15 a.m…)

… so, I took the opportunity to dig into Hine’s photos stored at the Library of Congress. And I made a remarkable find. Hine traveled across the United States documenting the conditions of children working in the fields and factories. I’ve always been interested in the works of Hine because of my father’s family’s eventual migration from Quebec in order to work in the factories of Southeastern Massachusetts. My father remembered speaking French as a very young child, but it wasn’t encouraged nor supported when he began attending public schools in Attleboro, Massachusetts. He remembered working in the factories with his father… but unlike the children from decades earlier, the luxury of an education was a little bit more of a priority. (Which made a huge difference in my life… along with the lives of his grandchildren. But I digress…)

What I did not know about Lewis Hine was that he spend time documenting the child cranberry pickers on Cape Cod and in Southeastern Massachusetts. The following Lewis Hine photos are from the National Child Labor Committee collection kept in the Library of Congress. I have also included Hine’s imperfect photo notes, as written and submitted well over 100 years ago. All of the following photos were made in September of 1911. I found them to be very interesting. I hope you find them to be interesting as well…

Belford Coldos, 27 Cannon St., New Beford, Mass. 8 years old. Picking on Weeks’ Bog. Location: Falmouth, Massachusetts. 1911 September

Mary Gomez, 10 years old. Lives Waquoit. Picked 19 pails one day, generally picks 8 or 10. Location: Falmouth, Massachusetts. Cranberries 1911 September

Joe Rose. Dumps cranberries for his father. Said he was 11 years old. Lived at Hourwich, Mass. [Harwich] 7 out of 57 workers were 6 to 12 years old. Working from 9 a.m. til 5 p.m. they said. Location: Hollow Branch Bog, near Wareham, Massachusetts. 1911 September

Boy of 12 years picking cranberries with the scoop. Most of the scooping is done by adult workers, but some scoops [?] are made small enough for the children to use. Location: Hollow Branch Bog, near Wareham, Massachusetts. Sept. 1911

Girl who said she was 11 picking and carrying cranberries. Location: Hollow Branch, Massachusetts Sept. 1911

Bessie Gonsalve, Said she was 11. Picking and carrying cranberries. Lives in Harwich, Mass. Expects to be here for several weeks more. Location: Hollow Branch Bog, near Wareham, Massachusetts. Sept. 1911

Arthur Fernande [or Fernando?] Said 8 years old. Picking cranberries by hand, and brother Charlie said he was 9 picking with a scoop. Said they worked from 9 till 5. Location: Hollow Branch Bog, near Wareham, Massachusetts. Sept 1911

Arthur Farnande. Said 8 years old. Picking cranberries by hand, and brother Charlie said he was 9 picking with a scoop. Said they worked from 9 till 5. Location: Hollow Branch Bog, near Wareham, Massachusetts. Sept 1911

Arthur Fernande. Said 8 years old. Picking cranberries by hand, and brother Charlie said he was 9 picking with a scoop. Said they worked from 9 till 5. Location: Hollow Branch Bog, near Wareham, Massachusetts. Sept. 1911

Charlie Fernande showing the scoop with which he works. Most of the scooping is done by adults. Location: Hollow Branch Bog, near Wareham, Massachusetts. Sept 1911

Mamie, who said she was 9 and a regular picker was teaching her 6 year old sister Ada to use a scoop. Location: Hollow Branch Bog, near Wareham, Massachusetts. Sept 1911

Three pickers going home from work. Anne Benotte, said 7 years old. Brother Vincent said 11. Vincent picked last year. Inez, sister said 6 years old, “and picked last year wid me mudder.” Smallest one not quite large enough to work. Father works in Parker Mills. Location: Parker Mills [vicinity], Massachusetts. Sept 1911

Fanny Breto. Said 9 years old. Was picking with her father on a private bog near Bang’s bog. Location: Wareham, Massachusetts. Sept 1911

Antone Fontes. Said 11 years old, and worked here last year. Lives in E. Providence, R.I. Location: Makepeace near Wareham, Massachusetts. Sept 1911

Gordon Peter, using scoop with metal teeth not covered. Said 10 years old. One of the smallest scoopers that we found. Usually scooping is done by adults. Been picking 3 years. Location: Makepeace near Wareham, Massachusetts. Sept 1911

Boy who carries barrels. Robert Saunders, 10 years old. Lives Waquoit – is the sone [i.e., son] of the boss. Mother picks too. Location: South Carver [vicinity], Massachusetts.

Mrs. Willett and two little girls. Said 8 and 12 years old. Living in W. Wareham, Mass. Location: Rochester [vicinity] Eldridge Bog, Massachusetts. Sept 1911

Shack near John D. Crocker’s Bog. Housing 7 Portugese in bunks. Dirty clothes and garbage on the floor. There were bunks for 12 persons. The shack was 10 x 12 feet and 8 or 9 feet high. Location: Falmouth, Massachusetts. Sept 1911

Carre Maderyos. Location: Falmouth, Massachusetts.

Five cranberry pickers – all cousins. Smallest is Joe Sylva, 618 Water St., New Bedford, said 10 years old. Picks 10 pails a day at 7 cents. Arthur Sylva, said 13 years, picks 30 pails a day. Carrie Maderyos, 618 Water Street, New Bedford, said 12 years – second year picking. The group expects to be picking here four weeks more which will cause loss of New Bedford schooling at least 6 weeks. (See photos of them picking next day). Location: Falmouth [vicinity] – Swift’s Bog, Massachusetts. Sept 1911

Laura Santos and family, 500 Wichendon Street, Providence. Said 12 years. Picks 20 to 25 measures a day. Is in 4th grade will be here 5 weeks more. Location: Falmouth [vicinity] – Swift’s Bog, Massachusetts. Sept 1911

Going to work. The manager said, “We have 150 workers beside the kids.” Location: Falmouth [vicinity] – Swift’s Bog, Massachusetts.

Going to work. The manager said, “We have 150 workers beside the kids.” Location: Falmouth [vicinity] – Swift’s Bog, Massachusetts. SEPT 1911

Joe Perry, 10 years old, Lives 3 Walnut Street, New Providence. Location: Falmouth [vicinity] – Swift’s Bog, Massachusetts. SEPT 1911

Mary Alimeda, 500 Wichendon Street, Providence. Is in 3rd grade. Also Anton Enos of E. Falmouth. Location: Falmouth [vicinity] – Swift’s Bog, Massachusetts.

Anna Perry, 2 years old. Was picking a little. Location: Falmouth [vicinity] – Swift’s Bog, Massachusetts.

Lena Rose, 7 years old. Lives East Falmouth. Picks 6 to 9 measures a day. Manuel Rose, 9 years old. Picks 9 measures. Location: Falmouth [vicinity] – Swift’s Bog, Massachusetts.

Carrie Maderyos ready to pick. Said 12 years old – 2nd year picking. Location: Falmouth [vicinity] – Swift’s Bog, Massachusetts.

Joe carrying cranberries. Said 10 years old. Picks also. Location: Falmouth [vicinity] – Swift’s Bog, Massachusetts.

Young pickers on Swift’s Bog. All working. Location: Falmouth [vicinity] – Swift’s Bog, Massachusetts.

Thomas Vegas and family. Johnny, 11 years, Joe 9 years, and little Louise De Pont. Location: Falmouth [vicinity] – W.W. Eldridge, Jr., Bog, Massachusetts.

Bringing in one measure. Location: Falmouth – Plimmey [?] Bog, Massachusetts.

Teixiera family, 50 Lombardt St., New Bedford. Mary J., 11 years; Manuel 10 years. Mother and these two children pick 40 measures a day at 7 cents a measure. See scoops and pail in foreground. There were two out of eighteen workers apparently under 12 and they expected to work several weeks more–losing some weeks of schooling. Location: Falmouth – Plimmey [?] Bog, Massachusetts.

Mary Birch with two boys – John 14 – Tony 10. Six more younger children at home. The boys pick 18-20 pails a day. Location: Falmouth – Week’s Bog, Massachusetts.

Amelia Louise Sousa, 12 years old. Picks 22 measures. Balmeda 4 years old. Children said she doesn’t pick, but she was picking just the same. Location: Falmouth – Baker Bog, Massachusetts.

Manuel Robello, 10 years old. Picks and carries. Lives in Teaticket, Mass. Location: Falmouth – Baker Bog, Massachusetts.

Two little pickers. Manuel Alvez – 12 years, Marion Alvez, 8 years. She picks 19 measures. He picks 10 measures. Live – 320 Water St., New Bedford. Location: Falmouth – Baker Bog, Massachusetts.