International Center of Photography

There were many pictures which struck my eye. In many of them, I kept thinking about what the photographers were thinking while taking some photos as well as trying to put myself in the place of the people in the photos on the lower level. My grandparents came through Ellis Island, so it was cool seeing how people looked back then, and at the same time seeing those photos made me sad because many of the people looked troubled and looked like they had been through and gave up a lot to get to where they were. What really took my by surprise were the pictures and fliers about child labor. I was able to look up one of the pictures that got to me.

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In this picture, the photographer exposes the grim tragedy of child labor. The image depicts a young girl standing in a factory. I believe that the photographer effectively conveys the strong message that child labor is a dangerous reality, although beyond the obvious concepts of hazard and risk, has consequences that are emotionally nasty. By looking at a child who appears visually helpless and overwhelmed, one is compelled to think about the psychological effects of facing grueling, manual tasks at an immature age. The two overarching, endless walls of heavy machinery seem to overpower the girl’s innocence, perhaps a reflection on the photographer’s part of her state of mind. Certainly, it is alarming to think of the dreadful cognitive and behavioral, not least physical, impediments the girl might endure as a result of her position. Naturally, the question poses itself: what kind of world brought a girl of such youth to her knees, forcing her into the unforgiving milieu of neglect and abuse? What dream of one day becoming a doctor or teacher can she aspire to whilst trapped in an inferno of iron, steel and coal, or an abyss of spinning reels and sewing machines? Taking this a step further, one begins to think about the clothes on one’s body and wonder whether this girl, or others in her position, once sweated over its creation in exchange for food, lodging, or low pay.