Ellis Island As Seen By The Camera Man
Introduction
The article "Ellis Island As Seen By The Camera Man" from April 1908 provides a visual and narrative exploration of the immigrant experience at Ellis Island. Through photographs and observations, the piece captures the diverse emotions and conditions of the immigrants.
Immigrant Landing Stage at Ellis Island. Tender Brings New Immigrants to Ellis Island for Processing. nd circa 1910s. Detroit Publishing Company # 0500726. Library of Congress # 2016796928. GGA Image ID # 14824f206a
Signora! Signora! Go up to the top of the stairs." One of the interpreters spoke, and he added to an attendant, "Put the woman and the baby at the head of the line."
We were looking down the main stairway of the receiving room at Ellis Island at the line of immigrants waiting to pass the medical examiners. Something had delayed the inspection, and this row of people was standing where they were struck by the chilly blasts that swept up through the open doors.
In speaking thus, the official voiced the attitude of the immigration authorities toward the arriving alien, as I had seen during ten days of unattended observation.
The Face of an Immigrant. Faith And Hope In The Future - Terror And Timidity In The Past. The World Today, April 1908. GGA Image ID # 21908cbabc
A tale is told of an unscrupulous pie vendor who, years ago, refused to give change to a little immigrant boy who had purchased one of his wares. That lonely boy then resolved that when he grew up, he would put it out of the power of such men to prey on the newly landed foreigner.
When President Roosevelt looked around for a man who would give the immigrant a square deal, he found this boy, now grown to man's estate, with proper experience in the service, and appointed him Commissioner of Immigration at the Port of New York, "solely on merit."
The literal accuracy of this story is immaterial. Its spirit is true today. The personality of the Commissioner, thus appointed, permeates the department under his charge.
For nearly two weeks, I watched the stream of humans coming up the stairs and saw how the officials treated them. Scarcely, I heard a crossword during that time. Once, one of the interpreters relieved his feelings with a long-drawn-out "stupid," which sounded to all the world like a mother speaking to a provoking child. I watched the expression on the face of one of the inspectors as he tried to straighten out some slight irregularity in the papers of a woman at his desk.
Although I was across the room and heard not a single word, I was much impressed by his look of fatherly solicitude as he sought to temper the severity of our alien laws with kindness to the foreigner at our gateway. The interest of the immigrant was promoted so far as was compatible with justice in the country. During the interview, the baby shuffled away from his mother, and the gentle way he romped to her side completed the picture of applied Christianity.
A Potential Immigrant Waits In The Detention Room at Ellis Island. The World Today, April 1908. GGA Image ID # 2190ec5827
One day, while I was there, a woman lost her $70 before she reached the inspectors. The $70 was a fortune to her, and its loss meant the closing of the Gates of Hope. When her tale was known, the officials took up a collection to enable her to pass.
"They often try this trick, but this woman is telling the truth and does lose her money," said one of them.
At another time, the noon hour found the room filled with immigrants awaiting inspection. One woman with two small children was waiting for her husband, who chanced to be further down the line. The motherly air with which one of the matrons swooped down on the group and carried it off to lunch emphasized the feeling of humanity I had now expected at Ellis Island.
The women's care extends beyond the entrance portals. I saw one attractive young woman bathed in tears. Still, the adamantine officials refused to allow her to change her plans and seek a situation in New York City, where she had no friends. She was consigned to cousins in Pennsylvania, and in Pennsylvania, she was sent.
The receiving and examining department is optimistic; the deportation department is pessimistic. One official spoke to me of the lies told by the Special Inquiry Boards, often to enable the immigrant to enter this country and begin over again a life that has failed—if we take a charitable view of the case.
In one department stalks tragedy—grim and unrelenting. And yet I wonder if some of His charity, who accepted Mary Magdalen's ministrations, might not have served to save many human beings from misery without a severe threat to the community's morals, for I remember the home where childish prattle in the kitchen, tolerated by the liberal-minded homemaker, led to an honorable and happy marriage.
At Ellis Island, the subject is viewed from the standpoint of physical inability to work and the certainty that, too often, the doors of honest labor will be closed in the face of the applicant. The husband must be able to provide for his wife and child; the lover must be made to go through the marriage ceremony and be able to care for the family, or the Department of Deportation is put in charge of the case. The fate of the deported is often of such sadness that the department should exercise all possible consideration.
Beautiful Romanian Woman From Bucharest at Ellis Island. The World Today, April 1908. GGA Image ID # 21913030bb
My work with the camera took many days, for I was determined to have the chosen types represented. I tried to select an equal number of good and evil. For one whole day, I devoted myself to photographing the poorest specimens I could find, resolutely leaving all the pretty girls and fine-looking men out of it. After a week, I gave up the attempt, for there were no wrong types or so few as to be negligible.
A cherished example of the undesirable developed into a picture of the conventional Christ-head. After that, I devoted myself to typical people without regard to character, but I always avoided the best-looking ones lest the result compare too favorably with the work at a Fifth Avenue studio.
I made amusing mistakes. After exhausting my knowledge of the sign language in directing the posing of one of the men, he asked me in English, "Are my eyes right now?" Further, talk with him — not with signs, however — disclosed that he was an Iowan fanner who had returned to his old home for a bride and was now bringing her to their new home in this country. When he introduced me to her, I no longer wondered why he went abroad for a wife.
A stately white-haired patriarch stood at the head of one group. Every line that seamed his face, every glance from his kindly eyes, and every attitude of the man proclaimed an intellectual, refined, distinguished personality. The inspectors' inquiry revealed that these were second-cabin passengers whose relatives had not met them at the steamer.
They were now awaiting, at the Island, a reply to the telegram announcing their arrival.
The officials were as pleasant to me as their charges, with greetings ranging from "Well, son, how goes it this morning?" to "For God's sake, keep at it and get through. I am responsible for all these people, and it makes the shivers run down my back whenever you take one outside the railing!" in answer to my suggestion that I absent myself on a day that promised to be full to overflowing.
Quickly, I learned which interpreter could best attract the beautiful girls into posing with his, "Will you go with him to the window?"
"No, Mademoiselle, he asks you because you are so pretty!" I discovered which could prevail upon the aristocratic-looking men and which the rank and file. To one, it was "Come!" he came; to another, "This gentleman wishes to take your picture; will you permit him?"
The reception was as varied as the sitter. The "Count," as we called him, was profuse in expressions of his appreciation of the honor done him. He told me that he was "a portrait painter, himself."
He borrowed a pencil to give me his address. After returning to his place, he discovered that he still had the pencil. Officials were waved aside as he hastened across the room, and with a courtly bow and many apologies, he gave it back to me.
The Hebrews retained their air of submission. On his return to his companion, one was asked, "What did he want, Jacob?" With a Hebraic shrug, he replied, "I know not, Isaac; he took my picture, and that was all!"
Bride Of An Iowan Farmer Coming To Her New Home via Ellis Island. The World Today, April 1908. GGA Image ID # 219159ddac
In the railroad waiting room, I saw a homesick man forget his loneliness in the abandon of playing his fiddle. Gone were the four walls of the building. Forgotten were the medical examiners and the dreaded inspectors! The spell of the music again brought the vine-clad hills of sunny Italy before him.
Even in the detention room, apprehensions are momentarily forgotten. In one department, a drum beat banished the dread of their fate from volatile people who swayed to the time. With the women, chatting, sewing, and quiet games whiled away the hours. The lottery of the future contains prizes for some but blanks for many.
Some are detained for sailing the steamer to bear them back whence they came. A few await the return of sick children from the hospital or a message that they will never come back. Others are held for the coming of friends who failed to meet them at their arrival.
The Count - A German Portrait Painter at Ellis Island. The World Today, April 1908. GGA Image ID # 219192e413
I needed help in maintaining a proper perspective. Continually, I found myself forgetting that these people were not simply human beings, members of the human brotherhood who, by a mere freak of fate, were born in a foreign clime, but beings apart whom we must consider and weigh before we admit them to the privileges of the country. As the way to the ferry led me through doors that bore the legend "Push. To New York," and on the other side, I passed through doors printed "Pull," I thought with sorrow of the significance of the words.
Later, on the subway, I headed the line of passengers who wished to leave the train at Fourteenth Street. On the platform was a dense mass of well-dressed, well-appearing men and women.
I did not see a motion to make a passage. I stopped, bewildered, for I had just left a region where courtesy was the rule. Fortunately, the man behind me was a citizen of the metropolis. With his shoulder at my back, we went through that crowd, which melted before the brute force it was accustomed to. Again, I felt sorry for the immigrants whom I had just left, for they must now learn the significance of the two American watchwords, "pull" and "push."
Those who best know the immigrant are his most potent advocates. The Commissioner, under whose eye five thousand new arrivals pass daily, said to me as we watched the endless procession, "Look at those hands, toil-worn and hardened with work in the fields. These men come here looking for hard work, and they find it.
That is the sort of people that this country needs." One of the best-known missionaries at Ellis Island expresses her faith in the alien: "I have been in work nearly nineteen years, and each year increases my faith in humanity." A great southern state is seeking to direct immigration to its own borders—and this after investigation!
Model For The Conventional Christ - Head Of The Artist Who Passed Through Ellis Island. The World Today, April 1908. GGA Image ID # 21927a2ded
Too often, the class that laments the influx of these humble people holds up its dainty skirts when it visits Ellis Island as one of the "sights" of New York.
Dimock, Julian A., "Ellis Island As Seen By The Camera Man," The World Today, Volume XIV, No. 4, April 1908.
Conclusion
The narrative highlights the compassionate treatment by Ellis Island officials and the diverse backgrounds of the immigrants. The article underscores the complex and humanizing aspects of immigration, contrasting the hope and despair seen among the newcomers.
Key Points
- 📸 Visual Documentation: The article is based on photographs taken by the author, showcasing the immigrant experience.
- 🌍 Diverse Origins: Immigrants from various countries, including Romania and Italy, were documented.
- 😢 Emotional Atmosphere: The piece captures moments of joy, anxiety, and hope among the immigrants.
- 🛂 Compassionate Officials: Describes the humane treatment by officials, despite the strict regulations.
- 🧳 Challenges Faced: Immigrants faced various challenges, including loss of money and health issues.
- 🤝 Community Support: Some officials and missionaries provided additional support to needy immigrants.
- 🚶♂️ Deportation Process: The article touches on the deportation of those deemed ineligible for entry.
- 🎶 Cultural Expressions: Immigrants expressed their cultural identities through music and other means.
- 🧔 Humanity and Dignity: Emphasizes the dignity and resilience of the immigrants, despite the hardships.
- 🔍 Detailed Observations: The author's observations provide a nuanced view of the immigration process.
Summary
- Photographic Journey: The article presents a series of photographs documenting immigrants at Ellis Island.
- Immigrant Diversity: Showcases a variety of immigrants, highlighting their different backgrounds and reasons for immigration.
- Emotional Depictions: Captures the range of emotions experienced by immigrants, from hope to despair.
- Official Compassion: Highlights the compassion shown by some Ellis Island officials and staff.
- Struggles and Support: Documents the challenges faced by immigrants and the support provided by community members.
- Deportation Concerns: Discusses the deportation process for immigrants who failed to meet entry requirements.
- Cultural Representation: Immigrants maintained cultural practices, including music, during their stay.
- Human Element: Emphasizes the humanity and dignity of the immigrants amidst the strict immigration policies.
- Personal Stories: The photographs and narrative offer personal glimpses into the lives of the immigrants.
- Overall Impact: The article provides a detailed and empathetic portrayal of the immigrant experience at Ellis Island.
