Immigration Photography Over the Years
Whether you focus on the images of immigrants arriving at Ellis Island for processing or you look at other slices of immigrants over the years, the power of those photographs to change moments in time stick with us to this day.
People move from country to country for many reasons. They follow family, seek education or a new career or flee from persecution and danger. Over the decades, photographers captured these moments in time and sometimes told a story or started a movement with the images they shot.
Who Photographed Immigrants?
The age of mass immigration occurred between 1850 to 1920, where immigrants moved to the United States in unprecedented numbers. The photographs of the day documented fashions, human joy, misery and political movements.
A huge number of photographs were snapped at Ellis Island. However, many were also taken at San Francisco’s Angel Island Immigration Station. Photos of immigrants across American history lie scattered across newspapers, periodicals and official documentation of the time.
At times, immigration photography stirred up public sentiment and changed culture and the tone of the news of the day. At other times, the image escaped into the annals of history and are just now being uncovered.
Keep in mind that passports weren’t needed to travel internationally until World War I. Official photographs may have been in short supply before then if not for the passage of Geary Act and subsequent amendment regarding better treatment of Chinese immigrants.
Although there are thousands upon thousands of immigration photos from which to choose across the decades, here are some of the ones we found most impactful.
1. The Steerage
Snapped by Alfred Stieglitz in 1907, The Steerage was taken with a single-lens reflex camera that was popular with photo journalists of the time. He took the photo during his own trip with his family on the S.S. Kaiser Wilhelm II while traveling to Europe on vacation.
Although some stated it was a look at immigrants making the trip to New York, the image was actually snapped when the ship headed from New York to Plymouth. The passengers represent a mix of new and returning immigrants and naturalized citizens. It represents the melting pot the United States was and is.
2. Italian Family Searching for Lost Luggage
Source: https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47d9-a95a-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99
For many immigrants, coming to America represented hope and opportunity. However, the expense and necessity of traveling light meant many arrived with only what was in their luggage. You can see the desperation in this Italian immigrant family’s faces as they seek their lost baggage.
The photographer was Lewis W. Hine, who was famous for shocking images of child labor. After his death, the photos became more widely known, unfortunately too late to affect change for many of the immigrant children who toiled in horrible working conditions.
3. Migrant Mother
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lange-MigrantMother02.jpg
When Dorothea Lange snapped her famous photograph Migrant Mother, she likely didn’t realize what an impact the image would have on the world. Taken in Nipomo, California in 1936, in the midst of the Great Depression, she humanized the horrible suffering of everyday humans, and in particular one migrant mother clearly worried about how to care for her children. ]
The lines of worry etched on the mother’s face were so timeless they pulled at the heartstrings of every other mother who saw them. People realized how horribly migrants and ordinary people were suffering. Lange also impacted the way other photographers would approach documentary historical photography.
Related: 11 Best Portrait Photographers to Inspire You
4. Afghan Girl
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sharbat_Gula.jpg
Photography Steven McClurry snapped an image of an Afghan girl and she became the face for refugees everywhere. The intense pain in her eyes and the wisdom beyond her years shows just how harsh of an experience the child went through.
Those who see the haunting image can’t help but feel sympathy for those fleeing from war and persecution. McClurry snapped the image while visiting an all-girls school in Pakistan filled with Afghanistan refugees. He knew he wanted to take a photo of the little girl with the piercing eyes, but he didn’t realize what he’d captured until he developed his film.
The image was shot in 1984, before digital cameras and smartphones were on hand. Once he saw the developed photo, though, he knew it would impact others as forcefully as it did him. It made the cover of National Geographic. The image still fills people with compassion when they view it.
5. MS St. Louis
Source: https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/pa26989
The sad story of the MS St. Louis shows the problems with sticking to the letter of the law and ignoring human suffering. The ship set sail full of Jewish passengers and landed in Cuba. However, because they didn’t have permission to enter the country, they were forced to re-board the ship.
They then thought perhaps they could find refuge in America and headed for the Florida coast, but were never allowed to land on the shores of the state. The government, scared of political consequences and worried about the coming world war, refused to intervene.
The passengers were forced to turn back to Belgium. Around half would later fall victim to the Holocaust.
Slices of Life and Humanity
Photographers continue to snap images of immigration both in America and around the world. As long as there are wars and desperate situations, there will always be a reason to study how things might be improved and how we can embrace our fellow humans. Immigration photography sends a powerful message to people from all walks of life.
