Child Labour Vintage Photos Gallery: One of my hobbies is digging around vintage photo archives – especially those containing pics over 100 years old. Where appropriate I recondition the originals to try and recreate what I think the photographer would have intended you to see. On this page I have selected an area that I believe is interesting from a social and historical standpoint. The theme is child labour at home, on farms, in textile mills, down pits, and in factories. A video has also been prepared for which I have composed a piece of music to accompany the slide show.

This Spinner is **12 year old Addie Card** at North Pormal Cotton Mill, Vermont, USA (**1910**)

Child Labour: As most of the original pictures are over 100 years old I have enhanced the versions you see here to improve clarity whilst maintaining detail and character. You can either scroll through the photos, clicking on any individual picture to enlarge it, or use my YouTube video below which has a slide show of these photos (and many more) set to music.

You can download the soundtrack ‘Ghost Children‘ for this video from iTunes using the link here

The Gallery (just click on the photos to see higher definition versions)

Little Nettie and other young Oyster Shuckers at Alabama Canning Co., Bayou, La Batre, USA (1911)

This girl is a Spinner running 4 looms at Whitnel Cotton Mfg. Co., Whitnel, North Carolina, USA (1908)

A 5 year old pea sorter at Ross Cannery, Seaford, Delaware, USA (1910)

Young 'Support' Worker known as a Dinner Toter (much cheaper than older relatives) on his way to the Eagle and Pheonix Mill, Columbus, Georgia, USA (1913) — Young ‘Support’ Worker known as a Dinner Toter (much cheaper than older relatives) on his way to the Eagle and Pheonix Mill, Columbus, Georgia, USA (1913)

Young Oyster Pickers working through the lunch period at Peerless Oyster Co., Bay St Louis, Mississippi, USA (1911)

The Mortaria children (youngest only 3 yrs of age) making flower wreaths in New York, USA (1912) — The Mortaria children (youngest only 3 years of age) making flower wreaths in New York, USA (1912)

Pete Trombetta 10 years of age together with siblings of 11 and 14 pick berries at Johnson's Farm, Seaford, Del., USA (1910) — Pete Trombetta 10 years of age together with siblings of 11 and 14 pick berries at Johnson’s Farm, Seaford, Del., USA (1910)

The Donovan Children aged from 7 to 13 are making tags for Dennison Co., Roxbury, Mass., USA (1912)

Boys working at midnight in the Glass works at Indiana, USA (1908)

Young boys mend broken threads on spinning looms in a Mill at Macon, Georgia, USA (1909)

Children from 4 years of age pick cotton at Whiteside Farm near Waxahachie, Texas, USA (1913)

All these children are Oyster Shuckers (except the babies) at Dukate Co., Pass Christian, Mississippi, USA (1911)

Breaker Boys from the mines of Pittston, Pensylvania, USA (1911)

Ralph an injured Cutter using butcher's knife at Canning Factory Eastport, Maine, USA (1911) — Ralph an injured Cutter using butcher’s knife at the Canning Factory Eastport, Maine, USA (1911)

For many of the images on these pages I am indebted to the work of Lewis Wickes Hine (1874 – 1940) a pioneer in the use of the camera as an instrument of social change.

You can download the soundtrack ‘Ghost Children‘ for this video from iTunes using the link here

Chris Duggleby

The Gallery (just click on the photos to see higher definition versions)

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