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Child Labor Union Children as Oyster Shuckers Photo Christian Pass Mississippi

Product Description

The2FunAdGuyz offer a new print of a unique and poignant early 1911 photograph of more than 20 young children who worked as oyster shuckers in Mississippi.

Child labor was used in many businesses and was partly responsible for low wages in those industries, a fact that did not escape the labor union movement occurring at the same time. In order to document the exploitation of children by companies, muckraking newspapers and private commissions began using photographs, some taken secretly. Shucking oysters is usually done with a sharp, knife-like object and can be dangerous. These young children were caught on their lunch break and are posed in front of a mountain of oyster shells that they their labor helped to create. The superintendent of the plant would not allow them to be photographed while working. Pass Packing Co. (owned by Dunbar, Lopez, & Dukate Co.), Christian Pass, Mississippi, was their employer.

CAPTION: February 1911 Child Labor Photograph of Young Oyster Shuckers at Christian Pass, Mississippi.

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE: As American industry mechanized their manufacturing and production facilities, child labor played a significant role. Children, some as young as five, played a significant role as employees in textiles, farming, mining, canning, meat packing, publishing and dozens of other industries. In spite of rules governing child labor, employers routinely ignored them while public officials and citizens turned a blind eye. Of course children who worked did not receive an education which meant that many were condemned to a lifetime of menial labor because they lacked the skills needed for better employment. The National Child Labor Commission hired several photographers to document the plight of child labor in the early 1900s. These photographs of children were extensively exhibited. These photographs became one of the earliest uses of the camera to push for social change. Eventually child labor was abolished in the United States during the Progressive Era, but children in other countries around the world are still employed today.

PHOTOGRAPHER: Lewis Wickes Hine was the photographer for this photograph.

PAPER QUALITY: This new print is on a highest quality, acid-free, 100-pound glossy premium text paper that allows for maximum color brilliance and fidelity for older images.

AVAILABILITY: In Stock! – Usually Ships Within 2 Business Days.

Image Size: 16.5 inches wide by 10.5 inches high.

Paper Size: 17 inches wide by 11 inches high. This allows for a small border around the image for matting and framing. When matted, this format is perfect for a standard 16-inch x 20-inch frame, a manageable size for a wide variety of decorating purposes.

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