Ellis Island: The Gateway to America – Capturing the Immigrant Experience Through Photographs

📌 Explore the Ellis Island Image Library, featuring historical photographs and documents of immigrants arriving in the U.S. between the late 1800s and early 1900s. Ideal for teachers, students, genealogists, and historians studying immigration history.

Ellis Island - A Gateway to America 🗽🌎

Overview and Relevance to Immigration 🌍

Ellis Island served as the main gateway to America for millions of immigrants between 1892 and 1954. The photographs and ephemera presented in this collection vividly capture the immigrant experience during this transformative period of U.S. history. For teachers, students, genealogists, historians, and immigration researchers, these images offer invaluable insight into the conditions, emotions, and challenges faced by the millions who passed through Ellis Island in their pursuit of the American Dream. The photographs from Ellis Island serve as both historical documentation and personal stories, making them essential for anyone studying the history of immigration, cultural integration, and the formation of modern American society.

View of the Men's Dormitory at Ellis Island. Leslie's Weekly, 24 October 1907. GGA Image ID # 14d699da49

Bunks and Wash Basins in the Dormitory for Women and Children at Ellis Island. Leslie's Weekly, 24 October 1907. GGA Image ID # 14d6a5e586

A Mother and Daughter Mark a Bright Spot at Ellis Island. The Baptist Home Mission Monthly, March 1908. GGA Image ID # 14d47d824a

Antonia Piestincola, 37, Italian Piper, Arrived on the SS San Giovanni 12 May 1908 at Ellis Island. National Park Service # 657ECEFE. GGA Image ID # 149370edf9

Dutch Mother, Johanna Dykhof, 40, With Her Eleven Children at Ellis Island. They Arrived on the SS Noordam, on 8 May 1908, and Intend To Move to Loretta, Minnesota From Holland. National Park Service # 658CB6AF. GGA Image ID # 14949b32c7

An Italian Family. The Man Tried To Pass As Her Husband, but Was Found To Be Her Brother. The Home Missionary, March 1909. GGA Image ID # 149ade1e51

Detained Hungarian Immigrants. The Girl Ran Away With Her Husband's Brother, Whom She Tried To Pass As Her Husband. Both Are Sent Back. The Home Missionary, March 1909. GGA Image ID # 149aeb3f12

A Runaway Italian Mother and Two Girls. The Home Missionary, March 1909. GGA Image ID # 149af4321d

A Young Immigrant Woman Receives Bad News About Her Husband to Be: Telegram From the West, "He Is Dead." She Must Go Back. The Home Missionary, March 1909. GGA Image ID # 149b3c2442

An Immigrant Family Comes to America To Find Father. The Father Ran Away to America and Married Another Woman, and a Former Husband Turns up Unexpectedly. The Family Must Go Back, and the Difficulty Cleared in the Home Country. The Home Missionary, March 1909. GGA Image ID # 149b4d9f1f

The Betrayed Polish Girl Who Came To Find Her Lover, Is Detained at Ellis Island Pending the Outcome of the Inquiry. The Home Missionary, March 1909. GGA Image ID # 149b8cc9db

Greek Immigrant Woman Wearing Costume at Ellis Island, June 1909. Note the Immigrant ID Tag Attached to Her Outfit Shown on Your Right. National Park Service # 658AD1E8. GGA Image ID # 1490c60b27

Ellis Island Immigrant Station, New York City Postcard. The Rotograph Co., New York City # 82b. Printed in Germany. nd, Postally Used 8 July 1909. GG Archives Immigration Postcard Collection. GGA Image ID # 14f5452032

Immigrants' Dining Room at Ellis Island circa 1910. National Park Service. NPSID 434796. GGA Image ID # 1da0909460

Five Female Immigrants Sitting on the Dock at Ellis Island. ca 1910 George Grantham Bain. Library of Congress # 2012646353. GGA Image ID # 1483d73de2

Italian Emigrants on the SS Friedrich der Grosse circa 1910. George Grantham Bain Collection. Library of Congress # 2001704438. GGA Image ID # 1487e3154c

Large Group of Immigrants Gathered Around the Lawn of Ellis Island circa 1910. George Grantham Bain Collection. Library of Congress # 2014719586. GGA Image ID # 148b642036

Group of Immigrants Gathered on Lawn at Ellis Island circa 1910. George Grantham Bain Collection. Library of Congress # 2014719587. GGA Image ID # 148b92fc04

View of Hoffman Island Where Immigrants With Infectious Diseases Were Held in Quarantine Before Arriving at Ellis Island circa 1910. George Grantham Bain Collection. Library of Congress # 2014689774. GGA Image ID # 148d49f727

Two Young Ladies in Dutch Folk Costumes From the Netherlands at Ellis Island circa 1910. National Park Service # 6594EFB0. GGA Image ID # 14911a659f

Prosperous Looking Immigrant Family of 14 at Ellis Island. nd. circa 1910. National Park Service # 658DF65A. GGA Image ID # 14913dc1c8

Wallachian Woman With Her Three Young Children at Ellis Island. They Emigrated From the Austro-Hungarian Empire. nd. circa 1910. Inscription on Bottom of Photo: "Return this group of Wallachians (Austria) to A. F. Shermn, Ellis Island, NY." National Park Service # 70E4D1CA. GGA Image ID # 14923b1ecb

Immigrants Disembarking From the Ferry That Has Brought Them From Ellis Island to the Barge Office at the Battery. nd circa 1910. Photo Couresy of "The News," New York. The Chronicle of Ellis Island, 1935. GGA image ID # 14dffa7f93

Immigrants Gathered Outside of the Main Building at Ellis Island. nd circa 1910. Department of the Treasury. Public Health Service. National Archives & Records Administration. NARA # 6235189. GGA Image ID # 14e062f987

A Woman, Girl, and a Boy Peering Out Against a Chain Link Fence at Ellis Island. nd, circa 1910. Photograph by Lewis Wickes Hine. The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Photography Collection. New York Public Library. NYPL # 79885. GGA Image ID # 14e72ada4f

New York City -- Ellis Island Emigration Station. Colorized Postcard, Postally Unused. nd, circa 1910. GG Archives Immigration Postcard Collection. GGA Image ID # 14f59b2c78

Detention of Immigrants at Ellis Island 16 July 1910. National Park Service # 194010. GGA Image ID # 148e885b8c

US President William Howard Taft and His Entourage on Visit to Ellis Island 18 October 1910. George Grantham Bain Collection. Library of Congress # 2014688607. GGA Image ID # 148a308d99

President Taft Visiting Ellis Island, 18 October 1910, Showing West End of Main Crib, Island One. Library of Congress, Division of Prints and Photography, Bain Collection, B2-2089-14. Ellis Island Seawall Historic Structure Report, July 2003. GGA Image ID # 1495e3bec9

Charles Nagel, President Taff, Immigration Commissioner Williams, et al at Ellis Island, 18 October 1910. George Grantham Bain Collection. Library of Congress # 2014688608. GGA Image ID # 148a368d42

President William Howard Taft at Ellis Island, 18 October 1910. George Grantham Bain Collection. Library of Congress # 2014688665. GGA Image ID # 148ba166e9

Dock at Ellis Island with Immigrants in the Background. nd circa 1910s. National Photo Company Collection # 3163F. Library of Congress # 89707154. GGA Image ID # 14840f2e1f

Immigrants Pass by Inspectors at Ellis Island Circa 1910s. George Grantham Bain Collection. Library of Congress # 2001704437. GGA Image ID # 148504ebbe

Immigrant at Registration Desk at Ellis Island ca 1910s. Bain News Service. Photograph Shows a Man Waiting, with Others in Queue Behind Him, at the Registration Desk in the Immigration Station on Ellis Island; An Immigration Official Is Seated at the Desk. Library of Congress LCCN 97501640. GGA Image ID # 148505c990

Immigrant at Registration Desk at Ellis Island ca 1910s. Bain News Service. Photograph Shows a Man Waiting, with Others in Queue Behind Him, at the Registration Desk in the Immigration Station on Ellis Island; An Immigration Official Is Seated at the Desk. Library of Congress LCCN 2014688794. GGA Image ID # 1d9f064616

Immigrants Awaiting Examination at Ellis Island ca 1910s. Bain Collection. Library of Congress # 97501087. GGA Image ID # 148517c246

Immigrants Walking Across Pier from Bridge at Ellis Island. nd circa 1910s. National Photo Company Collection # 3163E. Library of Congress # 91482188. GGA Image ID # 14863ac473

Ellis Island Dock with Immigrants in Foreground. nd circa 1910s. National Photo Company Collection # 3163G. Library of Congress # 98516508. GGA Image ID # 1487ac8e12

Immigrants Landing at Ellis Island. Public Hygiene, Vol. 2, 1911. GGA Image ID # 1548377dbd

Physical Examination of Female Immigrants at Ellis Island. Stereograph ca 1911. Library of Congress # 95506353. GGA Image ID # 14814f66f9

Physical Examination of Female Immigrants at Ellis Island, circa 1911. Library of Congress LCCN 95506353. GGA Image ID # 1d9e4be8c9

Immigrants from the SS Prinzessin Irene Going to Ellis Island. 1911 George Grantham Bain Collection. Library of Congress # 2001704432. GGA Image ID # 1488874386

Immigrants from the SS Prinzess Irene of the North German Lloyd Arriving at Ellis Island in 1911. George Grantham Bain Collection. Library of Congress # 2001704429. GGA Image ID # 1484ee521c

A Representative of the New York Bible Society Distributing Bibles and Religious Literature to the Emigrants at Ellis Island. © 1911 Underwood & Underwood, New York. Image from Stereograph. Library of Congress # 2012646348. GGA Image ID # 148513db6f

Immigrants Going to Ellis Island Barge. 1911 George Grantham Bain Collection. Library of Congress # 2001704449. GGA Image ID # 14875e587f

Immigrants Going Aboard Ellis Island Barge. 1911 George Grantham Bain Collection. Library of Congress # 2001704450. GGA Image ID # 1487a08368

Women from Guadalupe (French West Indies) at Ellis Island, Having Arrived on the SS Korona, 6 April 1911. National Park Service # 454170. GGA Image ID # 149033bbe4

Ellis Island Examination Room, 1911. INS Photo. INS Report, Spring 1986. GGA Image ID # 14b236eb19

Immigrants Purchasing Railroad Tickets at Ellis Island, nd, circa 1912. Department of the Treasury. Public Health Service. National Archives & Records Administration 90-G-125-23. NARA # 595656. GGA Image ID # 14e0718539

Immigrants Carrying Luggage at Ellis Island. ND, Circa 1912. Sepia Colored Black and White Photo Showing Seven Women and One Boy. The Boy Is Wearing a Bowler Hat and a Long Jacket Following Behind 6 of the Women Who Are All Carrying Large White Sacks over Their Shoulders. One Woman Is off to the Side, Wearing All Black and Having a Picnic Basket. The Entire Group Is Approaching What Is Now the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration Under Cover of a Metal Overhang Walkway with a Glass Skylight. Department of the Treasury. Public Health Service. National Archives & Records Administration NAID # 595659. GGA Image ID # 14e0c87fbc

Immigrants Posing for a Photograph Outside a Building at Ellis Island. nd, circa 1912. Department of the Treasury. Public Health Service. National Archives & Records Administration 90-G-125-9. NARA # 595650. GGA Image ID # 14e0f16593

Group of Immigrants Outside a Building at Ellis Island. nd, circa 1912. Department of the Treasury. Public Health Service. National Archives & Records Administration 90-G-125-3. NARA # 595669. GGA Image ID # 14e1030906

Immigrants Waiting at the Dock at Ellis Island to Be Transferred. © 1912 Underwood & Underwood, New York. Library of Congress # 97501083. GGA Image ID # 148438c519

Immigrant Family and Their Belongings on a Dock at Ellis Island. © 1912 Underwood & Underwood. Library of Congress # 97501668. GGA Image ID # 148558197d

Two Immigrants on a Dock Facing the Water at Ellis Island. © 1912 Underwood & Underwood. Library of Congress # 2012646354. GGA Image ID # 1485dff5fa

View of Ellis Island from the Southeast, 1912. Museum of the City of New York, Underhill Collection, B19326. Ellis Island Seawall Historic Structure Report, July 2003. GGA Image ID # 14969b028c

German Doctors at Ellis Island, 18 September 1912. George Grantham Bain Collection. Library of Congress # 2014690658. GGA Image ID # 148ae4ff9c

U.S. Inspectors Examining Eyes of Immigrants, Ellis Island, New York Harbor. Works and Studios, Arlington, N.J., Westwood, N.J. Underwood & Underwood, Publishers, c1913. Library of Congress LCCN 97501532. GGA Image ID # 1d9ef04320

Cipriano Castro, Ex-President of Venezuela, Landing at Ellis Island on 10 January 1913. Sign in the Background Reads "Ellis Island Ferry." George Grantham Bain Collection. Library of Congress # 2014692310. GGA Image ID # 148d6d7749

Main Immigration Building at Ellis Island. The Popular Science Monthly, January 1913. GGA Image ID # 14e21f8d43

The Immigrant Hospital at Ellis Island. The Popular Science Monthly, January 1913. GGA Image ID # 14e2254cde

A Polish Mother Holding Her Baby Up To See The Doctor. The Popular Science Monthly, January 1913. GGA Image ID # 14e26b4ce4

Examining Eyes on the Line at Ellis Island. The Popular Science Monthly, January 1913. GGA Image ID # 14e304831a

Russian Immigrant Girls at Ellis Island. The Popular Science Monthly, January 1913. GGA Image ID # 14e353c321

A Russian Jewish Boy, Just Landed (l) and A Chinese Girl in the Detention Quarters. The Popular Science Monthly, January 1913. GGA Image ID # 14e359d030

The Matron and Some of Her Charges on the Roof at Ellis Island. The Popular Science Monthly, January 1913. GGA Image ID # 14e35d5c1e

Immigrant Family's First Photograph Taken at Ellis Island. The Popular Science Monthly, January 1913. GGA Image ID # 14e379d75b

A Serbian Woman (left) and a woman from Hindustan Wearing a Genuine Harem Skirt. Photographs taken at Ellis Island. The Popular Science Monthly, January 1913. GGA Image ID # 14e3a8181e

Two African Arabs, Awaiting the Medical Examination. The Popular Science Monthly, January 1913. GGA Image ID # 14e3f05e0a

Berbers from Algeria - Filling an Engagement at a New York Theater. The Popular Science Monthly, January 1913. GGA Image ID # 14e4007c00

An Italian Immigrant Family -- a Mother and Five Children. The Popular Science Monthly, January 1913. GGA Image ID # 14e4577514

Casting of Underwater Concrete Blocks for Contract 1, 17 May 1913. NARA I, RG 85, Entry 9, Box 55640, file 558A. Ellis Island Seawall Historic Structure Report, July 2003. GGA Image ID # 14972a0119

Setting of Underwater Concrete Blocks for Contract 1, 19 July 1913. NARA I, RG 85, Entry 9, Box 55640, file 558 A. Ellis Island Seawall Historic Structure Report, July 2003. GGA Image ID # 1497464cfe

Construction of Contract 1 Seawall, Looking North, August 1913. NARA I, RG 85, Entry 9, Box 55640, file 558A. Ellis Island Seawall Historic Structure Report, July 2003. GGA Image ID # 1496a576c2

Slovakian Women and Children at Ellis Island. Photo by Hine. The Old World in the New, 1914. GGA Image ID # 14d90150e7

Typical Norwegian Boy Immigrating to the United States. The Old World and the New, 1914. GGA Image ID # 14d93b777e

Typical Swedish Girl Immigrating to the United States. The Old World and the New, 1914. GGA Image ID # 14d94e9c7b

Italian Gypsy Mother and Child at Ellis Island. Photo by Hine. The Old World and the New, 1914. GGA Image ID # 14d960a431

Italian Woman of Greek of Albanian Ancestry. Photo by Hine. The Old World and the New, 1914. GGA Image ID # 14d9881d78

Group of Italian Immigrants Lunching in the Old Railroad Waiting Room at Ellis Island. Photo by Hine. The Old World and the New, 1914. GGA Image ID # 14d98de5e9

The Board of Special Inquiry In Session at Ellis Island. Photo by Hine. The Old World and the New, 1914. GGA Image ID # 14da7217f7

Slavic Sisters at Ellis Island. Photo by Hine. The Old World and the New, 1914. GGA Image ID # 14dabcf566

Slavic Immigrant Girl. Photo by Hine. The Old World and the New, 1914. GGA Image ID # 14db2b4c16

Slavic Woman and Italian Husband. Photo Courtesy of The Survey. The Old World and the New, 1914. GGA Image ID # 14dbd4d394

Slavic Immigrant Girls at Ellis Island. Photo by Hine. The Old World and the New, 1914. GGA Image ID # 14dbdf58b5

Russian Jewish Immigrants at Ellis Island. Photo by Hine. The Old World and the New, 1914. GGA Image ID # 14dc02e939

Hindu Immigrants on Ellis Island Barge. Photo Courtesy of The Survey. The Old World and the New, 1914. GGA Image ID # 14dc1d5d64

Slovak Woman and Jewish Man at Ellis Island. Photo by Hine. The Old World and the New, 1914. GGA Image ID # 14dc760c2c

Molokan Immigrant from Russia. From a Semi-wild Tribe, Members of Which Eat No Meat. Molokans Are Members of Various Spiritual Christian Sects That Evolved from Eastern Christianity in the East Slavic Lands. The Old World and the New, 1914. GGA Image ID # 14dc9af79d

Hungarian Magyar Peasant Woman at Ellis Island. Note Her Own Embroidery on Apron: "If I Am Pure and Good, I Expect to Be Honored." Magyars Are People Who Originated in the Urals and Migrated Westward to Settle in What Is Now Hungary in the 9th Century AD. The Old World and the New, 1914. GGA Image ID # 14dcb1276b

Romanian Shepherds in Native Costume at Ellis Island. The Old World and the New, 1914. GGA Image ID # 14dcb646c6

The Ferry-Boat Ellis Island Plying Between the Immigrant Station at Ellis Island and the Barge Office at Battery Park. All Foreigners Destined for New York Come Over on This Boat. Those Bound for Points Beyond New York Are Taken Direct to the Railroad Terminals in Barges. © 1914 Photographic Bureau of the New York Edison Company, The Edison Monthly, October 1914. GGA Image ID # 149dbdec60

In the Barge Office Where Groups of Immigrants Are Made Up, Awaiting the Services of Guides. © 1914 Photographic Bureau of the New York Edison Company, The Edison Monthly, October 1914. GGA Image ID # 149df979e0

The Barge Office in Battery Park Houses, in Addition to Its Immigration Quarters, Several Branches of the Federal Service, Among Them the Bureau of Animal Industry, the Civil Service Examination Rooms, the Recreation Rooms of the Customs Inspectors as Well as the Offices of the Ship News Reporters. The Building Receives Its Electric Current from the New York Edison Company. © 1914 Photographic Bureau of The New York Edison Company, The Edison Monthly, October 1914. GGA Image ID # 149e6b7612

"The Strangers," Newly Arrived Immigrants Being Their Journey in New York. The Signage on Stairway Reads "Up Town Train." © 1914 Photographic Bureau of The New York Edison Company, The Edison Monthly, October 1914. GGA Image ID # 149e9c10c1

Two Young Immigrants Standing in Front of Luggage Section 8 at Ellis Island circa 1915. George Grantham Bain Collection. Library of Congress # 2014702226. GGA Image ID # 148b33b625

Immigrants Disembarking from the Ferry Begin Their Walk to the Entrance of Ellis Island Circa 1915. George Grantham Bain Collection. Library of Congress # 2014710703. GGA Image ID # 148bf9f87e

Dutch Family at Ellis Island circa 1915. George Grantham Bain Collection. Library of Congress # 2014710706. GGA Image ID # 148c69db77

Ellis Island Inspector Examines Immigrant Family's Documents in the Registry Room Circa 1915. George Grantham Bain Collection. Library of Congress # 2014710707. GGA Image ID # 148caf7764

Ariel View of Ellis Island Circa 1915. George Grantham Bain Collection. Library of Congress # 2014711712. GGA Image ID # 148d41cf4e

One of Many Ferry Boats or Tenders That Transported Immigrants to and from Ellis Island Circa 1915. George Grantham Bain Collection. Library of Congress # 2014711414. GGA Image ID # 148dc9d274

Physicians at Ellis Island Treating Immigrants in the Hospital Ward. nd. circa 1915. National Park Service # 38C21596. GGA Image ID # 1490a87939

Ellis Island Commissioner of Immigration Frederic Clemson Howe (November 21, 1867 – August 3, 1940), Was a Member of the Ohio Senate, Commissioner of Immigration of the Port of New York, and Published Author. President Woodrow Wilson Appointed the Noted Municipal Reformer Dr. Frederic Howe as Commissioner in 1914. During His Term, Dr. Howe Ameliorated the Conditions of Detained Aliens. Howe Resigned as Commissioner in 1920. Photo by Harris & Ewing. Library of Congress # 2016859016. GGA Image ID # 148e5a761c

The Board of Special Inquiry, Ellis Island. Drawn by A. Castaigne. The Century Magazine, January 1916. GGA Image ID # 154843bf64

The Registry Department at Ellis Island. Drawn by A. Castaigne. The Century Magazine, January 1916. GGA Image ID # 15484e9409

The New York Detention Room, Ellis Island. Drawn by G. W. Peters. The Century Magazine, January 1916. GGA Image ID # 1548f55ad8

The Registry Desk at Ellis Island. Drawn by G. W. Peters. The Century Magazine, January 1916. GGA Image ID # 1549c64d4e

Serving Soups to Immigrants on the Roof Garden at Ellis Island. Drawn by G. W. Peters. The Century Magazine, January 1916. GGA Image ID # 154a61a19b

The "Deported Pen," Ellis Island. Drawn by A. Castaigne. The Century Magazine, January 1916. GGA Image ID # 154a87efc9

Food Will Win the War - You Came Here Seeking Freedom, Now You Must Help to Preserve It - Wheat Is Needed for the Allies - Waste Nothing by Charles Edward Chambers. Lithograph 1917. United States Food Administration Poster Showing Immigrants Arriving in New York Harbor, with the Statue of Liberty Beneath a Rainbow. Library of Congress # 2002720171. GGA Image ID # 14836d9ab2

Construction of Concrete Counterforts on Top of Island Two or Three Cribwork, Phoenix Construction Company, 1917. NARA NYC, RG 79, Folder 203. Ellis Island Seawall Historic Structure Report, July 2003. GGA Image ID # 1497e95cab

First Regular Examination 24 Hours After Arrival at Ellis Island. Edwin Levick, New York. United States Public Health Service, Mental Examination of Immigrants, 18 May 1917, p. 738 Fig, 4. GGA Image ID # 149a33a5c2

Third and Fourth Regular Examination, One Week After Arrival. Alien Is Certified "Feeble-Minded." Edwin Levick, New York. United States Public Health Service, Mental Examination of Immigrants, 18 May 1917, p. 738 Fig, 5. GGA Image ID # 149a6f7600

Accomplishments of the Mental Examinations of Aliens in the Line Department at Ellis Island, June Through August 1916. Mental Examination of Immigrants, 18 May 1917, p. 746. GGA Image ID # 149aa132d3

Map Showing the Foreign Stock in the Population of the United States – By Foreign Stock, We Mean Foreign Born and Children of a Foreign-Born Father or Mother. The Black States Have More People Who Are Immigrants, or the Sons and Daughters of Immigrant Parents Than They Have of Native Stock. The Immigrants of the United States and Their Children Would Populate to Its Present Density All of the United States West of the Mississippi, with Alabama and Mississippi Added. The National Geographic Magazine, February 1917. GGA Image ID # 14c99741b3

Scottish Immigrant Children at Ellis Island. Taunted by the Fact That in England Oats Were Fed to Horses and in Scotland to Men, a Famous Scot Replied That England Was Recognized for Its Horses and Scotland for Its Men. America Knows How Much It Is Indebted to Scotland and the Scotch-Irish. Nearly Half of Our Presidents Have Been either Scotch or Scotch-Irish. Photograph from Frederic C. Howe. The National Geographic Magazine, February 1917. GGA Image ID # 14c9a31ec1

A Russian Hebrew Vegetarian Immigrant at Ellis Island: New York City in the Background. In Normal Times, Ellis Island Might Be Called the World Congress of Costumes. Everything but the Habiliments of Eden Seems to Pass Muster There. The National Geographic Magazine, February 1917. GGA Image ID # 14ca022d14

Four Little Dutch Immigrant Children Just Arrived at Ellis Island. Generations of Careful Living, Such as Is Always Necessary for a Country of Narrow Boundaries and Expanding Population, Have Developed in the Dutch a Frugality and Contentment with Simple Pleasures That Cannot Be Excelled. A Frugality and Contentment with Simple Pleasures That Cannot Be Excelled in the Dutch. Photograph from Frederic C. Howe. The National Geographic Magazine, February 1917. GGA Image ID # 14ca09c352

Two Dutch Families – Immigrants Through Ellis Island: In Each Case, the Parents and Children Number 13. Photographs from Frederic C. Howe. The National Geographic Magazine, February 1917. GGA Image ID # 14ca0d16a6

Typical Headdress of Italian Immigrant Women, Passing Through Ellis Island. Photograph from Frederic C. Howe. The National Geographic Magazine, February 1917. GGA Image ID # 14ca62f9ad

Two Immigrants Passing Through Ellis Island. On the Left, a Russian Vegetarian. On the Right, a Bavarian Peasant. Photographs from Frederic C. Howe. The National Geographic Magazine, February 1917. GGA Image ID # 14ca7041ed

Immigrant Children from the Balkan States at Ellis Island. "Such Pretty Dollies as They Do Have in America! 'Course I'll Have My Picture Taken if You Let Me Hold That Sweet Little Dolly!" Photograph from Frederic C. Howe. National Geographic Magazine, February 1917. GGA Image ID # 14cb4aa622

Adorable Immigrant Children at Ellis Island. On the Left, a Natty Little Lady from Norway. On the Right, Wallachian Children from Austria. Photographs by A. F. Sherman. National Geographic Magazine, February 1917. GGA Image ID # 14cb68620a

In Matters of Costume, Americanization Often Proceeds All but Too Rapidly. Immigrant in Folk Costume at Ellis Island. Photograph from Frederic C. Howe. The National Geographic Magazine, February 1917. GGA Image ID # 14cba3b1c4

Two Immigrants at Ellis Island. On the Left Is a Turkish Bank Guard, and on the Right, an Algerian, Who Is Part of the Annual Quota for Algeria. Photographs from Frederic C. Howe. The National Archives, February 1917. GGA Image ID # 14cc0f9f0e

Immigrants in Railway Waiting Room at Ellis Island. Having Passed Muster with the Doctor and the Inspector at the Nation's Gate, It Has Swung Open to These New Arrivals, and Now They Are in Free America, Ready to Journey Unhindered to Their Respective Destinations. Photograph by A. F. Sherman. The National Geographic Magazine, February 1917. GGA Image ID # 14cc17001c

This Illustration Shows Where Our Immigrants from Germany, Scandinavia, Ireland, and Austria-Hungary Have Settled. Courtesy of the US Census Bureau. The National Geographic Magazine, February 1917. GGA Image ID # 14cc1a3560

This Illustration Shows Where Our Immigrants from Russia, Italy, Canada, and Great Britain Have Settled. Courtesy of the US Census Bureau. The National Geographic Magazine, February 1917. GGA Image ID # 14cc54bd98

An Immigrant Woman from Lapland at Ellis Island. Photograph from Frederic C. Howe. The National Geographic Magazine, February 1917. GGA Image ID # 14cc80fd5a

The Melting Pot in Operation. Of the 14,500,000 People of Foreign Birth in the United States Today, Some 3.000,000 Do Not Speak Our Language. The United States Bureau of Education of the Department of the Interior, Which Has Accomplished Wonders in Coordinating; The Educational Activities of the Nation, Has Undertaken to Establish Night Schools in Every Industrial Center as One of the Processes of Americanizing These People, Other Countries Frequently Compel Their Nationals to Learn the Official Language and Place Bans on Alien Tongues. But America Is Going About the Task in Kindlier Spirit, and Its Efforts Are Being Appreciated. The Picture Shows the Big School of a Big Industrial Concern in Session; The Teachers at the Blackboards Are Foreigners Who Can Talk in Both Their Native and Their Adopted Tongues. © 1917 Underwood & Underwood. The National Geographic Magazine, February 1917. GGA Image ID # 14ccf9e984

Montenegrins in Their Native Costumes at Ellis Island. Mountaineers by Birth and Environment, the People of Montenegro Are a Great, Upstanding, Sinewy Race. Physical Perfection Must He Inherit, but Education May Be Acquired, and the Montenegrin Bequeaths the One and a Desire for the Other to His American-Born Posterity. Photograph from Frederic C. Howe. The National Geographic Magazine, February 1917. GGA Image ID # 14cd1fca77

Children of All Nations on the Ellis Island Roof Garden. Many Poor Little Boys and Girls Who Arrive at Ellis Island Do Not Know How American Kiddies Play. Still, the Roof-Garden Romps One May See Every Good Day Show Are Apt for Learning. Photograph by Frederic C. Howe. The National Geographic Magazine, February 1917. GGA Image ID # 14cd671675

Peasant Norwegian Immigrant Children in Folk Costumes. Of All the Countries on the Earth, Only Ireland Has Contributed a Higher Proportion of Her Sons and Daughters to the Development of America Than Norway. We Now Have One Third as Many Norwegians and Their Children as the Homeland Itself. Photograph from Frederic C. Howe. The National Geographic Magazine, February 1917. GGA Image ID # 14cdb0c478

A Finnish Immigrant Family at Ellis Island. There Are About Six Thousand Finns in the United States. Hardy, Self-Reliant, and Industrious, They Make Good Citizens of the Type That Scandinavia Sends Us. Photograph from Frederic C. Howe. The National Geographic Magazine, February 1917. GGA Image ID # 14cdb838fd

Romanian Shepherds at Ellis Island. Three-Fifths of All the Romanians Who Have Come to America Were Farm Laborers in the Old Country. Yet, It Is Rare. Indeed, That One Is Found in the United States Elsewhere Than in the Factory, the Mine, and the Railroad Construction Gang. Photograph from Frederic C. Howe. The National Geographic Magazine, February 1917. GGA Image ID # 14cded2d5c

A Slovak Immigrant Mother and Her Children at Ellis Island. The Slovaks Are an Agricultural People, Occupying All Northern Hungary Except Ruthenian Territory. Nearly a Half-Million of Them Have Come to America, Though Many of Them Return to Europe. They Came So Rapidly in the Years Before the War That Whole Villages Were All but Depopulated, and Wages Increased 100 Percent in Many Places as a Result of Their Departure for America. Photograph from Frederic C. Howe. The National Geographic Magazine, February 1917. GGA Image ID # 14cea03690

A Russian Immigrant Mother and Her Children at Ellis Island. "No, I Was Not Sleeping. I Just Couldn't Help Sneezing When the Camera Shutter Clicked." Photograph from Frederic C. Howe. The National Geographic Magazine, February 1917. GGA Image ID # 14cea1cd49

A Greek Soldier of the Royal Guard at Ellis Island. The Greek Shoe-Shining Emporium and the Greek Popular-Priced Restaurants Have Served to Distribute the Hellenic Immigrants Better Than Almost Any Other Race of the "New" Immigration, and Distribution Is Solving the Problem of Their Assimilation. Photograph from Frederic C. Howe. The National Geographic Magazine, February 1917. GGA Image ID # 14ced521b1

An Italian Immigrant Boy Dressed as a Soldier. Who Knows but That the Blood of a Caesar, an Anthony, or a Seneca May Course Through the Veins of This Little Future American? Photograph from Frederic C. Howe. The National Geographic Magazine, February 1917. GGA Image ID # 14cee50245

A Large German Immigrant Family Transplanted to America. The Seventh Son of a Seventh Son Is Not So Rare in Germany, for Next to the Russians, the Germans Have the Largest Families of Any People in Europe. More Than Six Million Germans Have Come to This Country, but Live Million of Them Came More Than 27 Years Ago. Photograph from Frederic C. Howe. The National Geographic Magazine, February 1917. GGA Image ID # 14ceea9a65

Missionaries of the New York Bible Society Met with Ellis Island Immigrants. Nearly All the Religious Denominations and Charitable Organizations of New York Take Some Part in Helping the Immigrants to Steer Clear of the Pitfalls of the Metropolis. Photograph by A. F. Sherman. The National Geographic Magazine, February 1917. GGA Image ID # 14cf1cf50a

A Typical Russian Jewish Immigrant Family at Ellis Island. Among the Jews Who Came to America from Russia Before the War Were Thousands of Families like This One. Even amid Direst Poverty, and the Most Unsanitary Surroundings, Many of Them Can Triumph over Dirt and Disease by Adhering to That Remarkable Code of Personal Hygiene Laid Down in the Laws of Moses. National Geographic Magazine, February 1917. GGA Image ID # 14cf4a3188

Three Russian Cossacks at Ellis Island. These Warriors of the Russian Plain Make Sturdy Americans — As Industrious in Peace as They Were Fearless in Battle. Photograph from Frederic C. Howe. The National Geographic Magazine, February 1917. GGA Image ID # 14cf66d18e

A Large Scottish Immigrant Family. But the Fact That Our Immigrant Population and the People in the Rural Districts Are More Given to Marriage and Large Families Than the Urban Folk of Native Stock, America's Growth Would Be at a Standstill. Between the Disinclination to Marry and the Tendency Toward Small Families, American City-Living Folk of Native Ancestry Today Does Not Have Enough Children to Reproduce the Race. Photograph from Frederic C. Howe. The National Geographic Magazine, February 1917. GGA Image ID # 14d0021a9b

A Large English Immigrant Family – A Mother with Her Nine Children. Like Her Sturdy Prototypes of Colonial Times, This Good Mother Has Come To Find a Home for Her Posterity in America. Please Think of the Self-Denial It Requires to Feed Nine Hungry Mouths and Clothe Nine Growing Children in This Era of High Prices. Yet Love Has Lightened Labor. Photograph from Frederic C. Howe. National Geographic Magazine, February 1917. GGA Image ID # 14d00e2d0e

A Group of Serbian Gypsies at Ellis Island. Ethnological Measurements Show That Even the Very Bones of the Immigrant's Body Are Warped into an American Type in His Children and His Children's Children. What Could Be More Eloquent Than This of the Success of the Processes of Americanization as the Generations Rise and Pass? Photograph from Frederic C. Howe. The National Geographic Magazine, February 1917. GGA Image ID # 14d03f0d05

Immigrants Landing at Ellis Island. On the Left Is a Hindu from India. In No Other Race, Furnishing Immigrants to America Is the Percentage of Women Coming So Small as Among the Hindus. On the Right a Dwarf from Myanmar (Burma). He Is Not Too Short to Enjoy His Cigarette nor to Be Proud of His Bracelet. Photographs from Frederic C. Howe. The National Geographic Magazine, February 1917. GGA Image ID # 14d0a9f3c4

A Giant Russian Immigrant, Seven Feet, Nine Inches Tall, Is Shown Here with Two Men of Normal Size. The Russians Who Come to America Are a Sturdy, Hardy, Seasoned Race, but Not All of Them Are as Large as This Giant, Who Can Look Down upon 99.9999 Percent of All Mankind. Photograph from Frederic C. Howe. The National Geographic Magazine, February 1917. GGA Image ID # 14d0b1b265

Immigrant Family at Ellis Island, March 1917. George Grantham Bain Collection. Library of Congress # 2001704441. GGA Image ID # 1481de353b

They Were Testing Male Immigrants at Ellis Island. Photo by Underwood and Underwood. In 1914, the Last Year of Heavy Immigration, 6,537 Aliens Were Excluded Because of Physical or Mental Defect Which Was Thought Likely to Make Them Become Public Charges. Half of These Were Suffering from Some Loathsome or Contagious Disease, While 1,247 Were Mentally Defective. Trachoma, a Contagious Disease of the Eyes, Is the Commonest Cause for Exclusion, and Four-Fifths of Those Who Were Excluded for Physical Defects Were Suffering from It. Since the Outbreak of the War, the Number of Immigrants Arriving Has Much Decreased, and the Examiners Have Therefore Had Time to Inspect Them More Thoroughly, with the Result That a Larger Percentage Than Usual of Defectives Has Been Detected. The Journal of Heredity, April 1917. GGA Image ID # 14e9f013e7

Inspecting a Group of Female Immigrants. Photo by Underwood and Underwood. Hitherto the Exclusion of Undesirable Immigrants Has Been Difficult Because the Force of Examiners Was Not Enough to Meet the Rush of Arrivals in the Spring and Because the Law Omitted Certain Classes Who Should Have Been Kept Out. The New Immigration Act, Passed by Congress in February, Increases the Inspecting Staff and Makes Important New Provisions for Excluding Those Whose Presence in the United States Would Be Dysgenic. It Also Contains Provisions Which Ensure Greater Consideration and Safety for the Individual Immigrant. The Journal of Heredity, April 1917. GGA Image ID # 14ea2068a6

Newly Arrived Immigrants at the Docks of Ellis Island. Every Immigrant That Wishes to Land on Our Shores Must, According to Law, Prove That He Can Read in His Language—and the Bible Has Been Chosen as the Book upon Which the Test Must Be Made. "Not Because It Is Considered a Sacred Book by Many People, but Because It Is Now the Only Book In Virtually Every Tongue," Is the Reason the American Department of Labor Gives for Adopting It. Bewildered by the Vastness and Bustle of This Strange New World, the Immigrant Finds at Last One Familiar Thing the Words of the Bible in His Language, Which He Reads Aloud to the Examining Official. At Ellis Island, the Most Symbolic of All Immigrant Points of Entrance, These Huddled Groups Have Found That, Once Again, the Bible Marks the Beginning of a Fuller and Freer Life. World Outlook, March 1918. GGA image ID # 14d17b4d75

Young Children Standing in Luggage Area Eight at Ellis Island with Immigrant ID Tags Attached to Their Clothing. Bain News Service circa 1920. Library of Congress LCCN 2014702226. GGA Image ID # 1da059c775

Ferries Docked at Ellis Island ca 1920. Bain News Service. Library of Congress LCCN 2014702227. GGA Image ID # 1da088445d

Barges Filled with Immigrants at Ellis Island, June 1920. George Grantham Bain Collection. Library of Congress # 2001704447. GGA Image ID # 148a09f815

Commissioner of Immigration Frederick A. Wallis. American Industries, December 1920. GGA Image ID # 14e84304fe

First Gateway to America -- Ellis Island. Underwood & Underwood. American Industries, December 1920. GGA Image ID # 14e85908ea

Types of Child Immigrants Seen at Ellis Island. American Industries, December 1920. GGA Image ID # 14e875a2d1

Three Young Highlander Immigrants at Ellis Island. American Industries, December 1920. GGA Image ID # 14e87771e0

Some of the Russian Refugees at Ellis Island. American Industries, December 1920. GGA Image ID # 14e8e34199

Talented Family Passes the Time at Ellis Island. © Underwood & Underwood. American Industries, December 1920. GGA Image ID # 14e8e4cb0f

Immigrants Held Under Detention at Ellis Island. © Underwood & Underwood. The NCWC Bulletin, September 1921. GGA Image ID # 14d0cd730b

Interior View of the Port Office, N. C. W. C. Bureau of Immigration, 61 Whitehall Street, New York City. The N. C. W. C. Bulletin, September 1921. GGA Image ID # 14d10317ce

At Ellis Island: The Ellis Island Representative of the Department of Immigrant Aid of the Council of Jewish Women, Is Bidding Farewell to Immigrants Who Have Just Been Admitted and Are About to Depart for Some Destination in the United States. The Jewish Woman: Official Organ of the Council of Jewish Women, October 1921. GGA Image ID # 154ba37249

Aerial View of Ellis Island circa 1920s. National Park Service Photo. INS Reporter, Spring 1985. GGA Image ID # 14b31e990f

Belgian Stowaway, Ooman Louis, Age 13, Admitted on Bond 22 February 1921, Attended to by Col. Helen R. Bastedo. National Park Service # 6580121B. GGA Image ID # 1490aa52b8

Like a Vision, the Great City of New York Rises Before the Newcomers. Photograph by Keystone View Co.The Delineator, March 1921. GGA Image ID # 14d1ba127d

2,000 Men, Women, and Children Remained for Five Days at Ellis Island Recently, Without Bunk Beds, and Had to Lie on the Floor or Sit up All Night, with Six Squeezed Together on Each Bench. Photo © Brown Bros. The Delineator, March 1921. GGA Image ID # 14d1d00671

Immigrants in the Maze at Ellis Island, Waiting to Be Inspected. "The Stream Has Become a Flood. There Are War Widows, Many of Them; There Are the Women Left Destitute of Funds by the War, Coming Here 'On Their Own' to Earn a Living." Photo © Brown Bros. The Delineator, March 1921. GGA Image ID # 14d2a09531

Newly Arrived Immigrants from the Third Class. "It Might Be Just as Well for American Women to Get Acquainted with Their Sisters Traveling Third-Class from Abroad." Photo © Brown Bros. The Delineator, March 1921. GGA Image ID # 14d20dc761

Overcrowding at Ellis Island Causes Unusual Sleeping Arrangements for Immigrants. Future American "Putting Up" with Uncle Sam. Over a Thousand Immigrants Were Recently Forced to Sleep on Blankets Spread on the Floors in Overcrowded Ellis Island. Our Treatment of the Immigrant Is "Criminal," Declare Several Investigators, and Commissioner Wallis Agrees with Them. Photo © International. The Literary Digest, 30 April 1921. GGA Image ID # 14d1aaf0ec

Ellis Island Commissioner Frederick Wallis Posed with a Group of New Arrivals in June 1921. Frederick Albert Wallis (1869-1951) Served as the Fourth Deputy Police Commissioner of New Yok City, Us Commissioner of Immigration, a New York City Department of Corrections Commissioner, and a Democratic National Convention Delegate. On June 1, 1920, He Was Appointed U. S. Immigration Commissioner of Ellis Island. George Grantham Bain Collection. Library of Congress # 2014710699. GGA Image ID # 148d9d33d6

Ellis Island Commissioner, Frederick Wallis Visits with a Group of New Immigrants at Ellis Island, in June 1921. George Grantham Bain Collection. Library of Congress # 2014710700. GGA Image ID # 148db7f55b

Well-Dressed Family of 27 (Ostrovski) - Russian Refugees Posed on Deck of the SS Orbita upon Arrival in New York from Russia, 16 September 1921. George Grantham Bain Collection. Library of Congress # 2001704444. GGA Image ID # 1489caa42d

Ellis Island, 1922 with Two Barges Docked in Front of the Main Building. INS Photo by Brown Bros., NY. INS Reporter, Spring 1986. GGA Image ID # 14b22fbcd0

Testing the Intelligence of an Immigrant Woman at Ellis Island. America Wants Only Citizens of Sound Minds and Healthy Bodies. The General Intelligence of This Woman Is Being Tested by Measuring the Time It Takes Her to Place the Different-Shaped Blocks in Their Proper Places in the Frame. Community Life and Civic Problems, 1922. GGA Image ID # 14c8f49678

Physical Examination of Immigrants at Ellis Island. This Doctor Is Examining the Eyes of Immigrants. No Alien Suffering from Any Communicable Disease Is Allowed to Enter the United States. This Safeguard Is Necessary to Protect Americans Against Contagion from Other Lands. Community Life and Civic Problems, 1922. GGA Image ID # 14c91b8070

Immigrants Leaving Ellis Island. These Immigrants Have Successfully Passed the Different Physical and Mental Tests Given to Them. They Are Currently on Ellis Island and Are Soon on Their Way to Take the Government Boat to New York. On Some Days, as Many as Three Thousand Persons Pass Through This Gateway to America. At What Port Did Your Ancestors Enter the United States? Community Life and Civic Problems, 1922. GGA Image ID # 14c93b13f1

Inspection of the Immigrant's Luggage at Ellis Island. © 1922 Boston Photo News Company. Immigrants Bring All Sorts of Things with Them to This Country. They Often Expect to Be Able to Plant a Garden and Have In Their Luggage Plants, Bulbs, and Seeds. There Is a Quarantine Against Such Importations, Owing to the Millions of Dollars' Damage That Has Been Caused by Destructive Insects That Have Sometimes Been Brought In. This Man's Baggage Contained Sweet Potatoes and Several Rosebushes. The Customs Inspectors Found the Plants and Tubers and Summoned the Plant Quarantine Inspectors of the Department of Agriculture, Who Promptly Seized the Articles. Community Life and Civic Problems, 1922. GGA Image ID # 14c9433c87

Immigrant Mother and Children at Ellis Island, 1922. They Have Come from Yugoslavia to Find a Home in America, and Their Bags and Bundles Probably Contain All Their Possessions. Still, the Determined Faces of the Mother and the Cheery Countenances of the Youngsters as They Eat Their First Bread in the New World Promise Well for Their Future. Community Life and Civic Problems, 1922. GGA Image ID # 14c96ddad

Catholic Mass at Ellis Island. Catholic Immigrants from All Parts of the World, Most of Them Unable to Speak a Word of the English Language, Enjoy, for the First Time Since Leaving Their Native Land, a Feeling of Kinship and Comfort Through Attendance at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass Provided Each Sunday for Those Awaiting Entry into the United States. Through the Courtesy of Commissioner of Immigration Tod and with the Cooperation of His Grace Archbishop Hayes, a Special Chaplain Celebrates Mass at Ellis Island Each Sunday for the Catholic Immigrants. The NCWC Bulletin, January 1923. GGA Image ID # 154b04ed73

Aerial View of Ellis Island, 1926. NARA II, RG 18 AA, Box 93, 60. Ellis Island Seawall Historic Structure Report, July 2003. GGA Image ID # 1496caa8ec

Kindergarten Class at Ellis Island. © Brown Bros. The Cunarder Magazine, September 1923. Proof That It's the Little Things That Count at Ellis Island the Human Side of Ellis Island Stands Out Most Happily in the Kindergarten, Where You See Little Girls and Boys from All over Europe Beginning to Learn Fellow-Citizenship. Friendliness Is the Keynote of This Room, and Despite the Difference in Language, the Entente Is Very Cordial, Indeed.

Immigrant's First Meal in America © Brown Bros. The Cunarder Magazine, September 1923. Their First Meal in America Is a Good One. The Large, While-Tiled Dining-Room at Ellis Island Is Typical of the Whole Smooth-Running Régime. Here Good, Nourishing, Appetizing Food Helps Along the Favorable Impression Newcomers to the United States Take Away with Them from Ellis Island.

Immigrants Before the Board of Inquiry © Brown Bros. The Cunarder Magazine, September 1923. Some Special Cases Before the Board of Inquiry. Immigrants Who, for Some Reason or Other, Fail to Establish Their Eligibility for Admission into the United States Are Brought Before the Board of Special Inquiry, and Their Cases Considered. Every Circumstance Is Carefully Weighed, and if an Immigrant Can Possibly Be Admitted, He Is Admitted.

Ellis Island Administration Building and Transportation Barges © Brown Bros. The Cunarder Magazine, September 1923. The Imposing Administration Building and the Transportation Barges. These White-Painted Barges, Heated in Winter, Carry Immigrants from the Steamer to Ellis Island. There Is an Official Impressiveness About the Administration Building That Is Confirmed Later When You Examine the Inner Workings of the System at Ellis Island.

Hospital Ward at Ellis Island © Brown Bros. The Cunarder Magazine, September 1923. A Sunny Ward in the Hospital. Here Patients with Infectious Diseases Are Treated Free of Charge Until Good Health Makes Them Eligible for Entrance into the United States. It Is Unusually Pleasant for a Hospital.

Arial View of Ellis Island © Fairchild Aerial Service. The Cunarder Magazine, September 1923. An Air Pilot Sees Ellis Island from an Unusual Viewpoint. But Even from the Air, Ellis Island Has a Square Look. It Is, as Not Many People Know, a "Manufactured ' Island, and Cost, with Its Buildings and Equipment, $10,000,000. Its Situation on the Busiest Bay in the World, Makes It a Remarkably Interesting Foyer to Newcomers from All Parts of the World.

Old Immigrant from Odessa © Bradley & Merrill. The Cunarder Magazine, September 1923. A Fine Type of Immigrant on Ellis Island. A Grand Old Man, Indeed, Is This White-Bearded Grandfather from Odessa, Visions Peace and Comfort in a New Country Lighting His Face with Interest.

Jewish Grandmother at Ellis Island in 1926. Photograph by Lewis Wickes Hind. The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Photography Collection. New York Public Library MFZ (Hine) 93-6226. NYPL # 91PH056.001. GGA Image ID # 14e47df8c3

Boat Unloading Immigrants at Ellis Island, New York Harbor. Stereograph by Keystone View Company © 1928. Library of Congress # 2008675318. GGA Image ID # 14f5fd1034

Aerial View of Ellis Island, New York, Photo Received from Mitchel Field on 4 April 1940. War Department. Army Air Forces. National Archives & Records Administration 18-AA-93-58. NARA # 68146015. GGA Image ID # 14e1713438

Asian Women in Traditional Dress at Ellis Island. nd. National Park Service # 477580. GGA Image ID # 14901f61f7

Peasant Family from Romania in Detention on Ellis Island. nd. National Park Service # 657B97D8. GGA Image ID # 149036c9db

Cossack Immigrants Wearing Dress Uniforms at Ellis Island. nd. National Park Service # 65831F8F. GGA Image ID # 1490bd763b

Cossack Immigrant Wearing Folk Costume, Overcoat Shown on the Left Background. nd. National Park Service # 65816E86. GGA Image ID # 1491baec53

Russian Immigrant Woman with Baby Weighing 55 Pounds at Ellis Island. nd. National Park Service # 659F2A93. GGA Image ID # 1491ef050e

Immigrant Woman of Unknown Nationality Holds Two Children, One in Each Arm at Ellis Island. nd. National Park Service # 659B48B8. GGA Image ID # 14920629ce

Swedish Immigrant Children Dressed in Folk Costumes at Ellis Island. nd. National Park Service # 70E1DFD4. GGA Image ID # 14920f78b9

Five Young Female Immigrants in Folk Costumes at Ellis Island. nd. National Park Service # 6586CB9D. GGA Image ID # 14924ec27c

Group of Moroccan Immigrants at Ellis Island. nd. National Park Service # 6587D954. GGA Image ID # 14927d1c6f

Three Young Slovakian Immigrant Women at Ellis Island. nd. National Park Service # 6593B4C6. GGA Image ID # 14928e14fc

Polish Immigrant Mother and Her Nine Children. nd. National Park Service # 657D7E93. GGA Image ID # 1492d591fc

Immigrant Man is Questioned by Inspector at the Registry Desk While a Clerk Records Notes on the Passenger Manifest. nd. National Park Service # BCDB5EE4. GGA Image ID # 1492edc428

Immigrant Family Photo at Ellis Island - The Parents with Two Young Children and Possibly the Mother's Father. nd. National Park Service # 658945CF. GGA Image ID # 1493ab3f38

Jewish Immigrant Family from England at Ellis Island. nd. National Park Service # 658BE471. GGA Image ID # 1493faea93

Three Immigrant Men from Montenegro at Ellis Island. nd. National Park Service # 65926C81. GGA Image ID # 1494617611

Concrete Sheet Piles in Place, Section I (Northwest Side of Island Three), August 1, 1934. NARA II, RG I21, Box38, Folder C. Ellis Island Seawall Historic Structure Report, July 2003. GGA Image ID # 14982f597d

Diagram from "A Report on Ellis Island as an Immigrant Depot, 1890-1954" by Thomas M. Pitkin (National Park Service, 1966). INS Reporter, Spring 1986. GGA Image ID # 14b27c79ad

Graph Showing Immigration for the Years 1820 to 1980. INS Reporter, Spring 1986. GGA Image ID # 14b29947d6

Map of Ellis Island and Surrounding Area including Statue of Liberty / Liberty Island, Governors Island, and Battery Park (Castle Garden). nd. INS Reporter, Spring 1986. GGA Image ID # 14b335d18e

Historical Development of Ellis Island and Its Seawall. Map from Cultural Landscape Inventory, Ellis Island, Olmsted Center for Landscape Preservation, 2001; redrawn by Naomi Kroll, 2003. Ellis Island Seawall Historic Structure Report, July 2003. GGA Image ID # 14985f9973

End Notes

Note 1: The country's English name derives from Venetian and translates as "Black Mountain," deriving from the appearance of Mount Lovćen when covered in dense evergreen forests. "Montenegro History -- Part I" visit-montenegro.com.

Note 2: In 1902, The Maltine Company issued an album of photographs called Quarantine Sketches. It contains roughly forty engravings showing the care of immigrants at the New York quarantine station on Ellis Island in all its phases, from the arrival on shipboard to the departure by rail for the far west. It is altogether one of the most informative booklets that the Maltine Company has published, and this is according it great praise, for the company is noted for the dissemination of helpful material.

Bibliography

Charles B. Smith, "The Great Gateway to America," in the Metropolitan Magazine, Vol. IX, No. 2, February 1899, pp. 129-138.

Theodora Finks, "A Morning's Scenes at Ellis Island, in Home Mission Monthly, Vol. XV, No. 10, August 1901, pp. 230-231.

Quarantine Sketches, The Maltine Company, New York, 1902.

Edward Lowry, "Americans in the Raw," in The World's Work: A History of Our Time, New York: Doubleday, Page & Company, Vol. IV, No, 6, October 1902, pp. 2644-2655.

Major W. Evans-Gordon, M.P., The Alien Immigrant: With Map and Numerous Illustrations for Author's Photographs, New York: Chas. Scribner's Sons, 1903.

"The World-Wide Migration to America: II. Distribution - The Really Serious Problem in Connection with American Immigration. How the Great Republic Makes Citizens of the Newcomers," in Dun's Review, International Edition: A Journal for the Promotion of International Trade, New York: R. G. Dun & Co., Vol. VII, No. 5, July 1905, p. 19-22.

Manners, O. N., "How Human Imports Are Handled" in System: A Monthly Magazine, Volume VIII, No. 4, October 1905, pp. 333-338.

Howard B. Grose, Aliens or Americans? Forward Mission Study Courses, Edited Under the Auspices of the Young People's Missionary Movement, New York: Eaton & Mains, 1906.

Mabel Hill, "An Immigration and Naturalization Story," in Lessons for Junior Citizens, Boston, et al.: Ginn and Company, 1906, p. 168-185.

Edward A. Steiner, On the Trail of the Immigrant, New York: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1906.

"Flood Tide of Immigration," in The Search-Light: Thrown on the Activities of the World, New York: The Search-Light Publishing Co., New Series: Vol. III, No. 17; Old Series: Vol. XXVII, No. 17, Saturday, 28 April 1906, p. 260.

Joseph H. Adams, "The Moral Wicket at the Gateway of Nations," in The Home Missionary, New York: Congregational Home Missionary Society, Vol. LXXXII, No. 10, March 1909 pp. 684-694

Dr. Alfred C. Reed, "Going Through Ellis Island," in The Popular Science Monthly, New York: The Science Press, Vol. LXXXII, No, 1, January 1913, pp. 5-18.

"Light on the Immigrant," in The Edison Monthly, New York: The New York Edison Company, Vol. VII, No. 5, October 1914, p. 172-175

"Our Foreign-Born Citizens," in The National Geographic Magazine, Washington DC: National Geographic Society, Vol. XXXI, No. 2, February 1917, pp. 95-130.

Robert De C. Ward, "Immigration After the War," in The Journal of Heredity, (Formerly the American Breeder's Magazine), Vol. VIII, No. 4 April, 1917, pp. 147-152.

E. H. Mullan, "Mental Examination of Immigrants: Administration and Line Inspection at Ellis Island," in Public Health Reports, Vol. 32, No. 20, 18 May 1917, pp. 733-746.

Frederick A. Wallis, "The Menace of the Immigrant Tide," in American Industries Magazine, New York: The National Manufacturers Company, Vol. XXI, No. 5, December 1920, pp. 7-10.

T. F. Mulholland, "America's International Clearing-House: Ellis Island's Immigration Task and the N. C. W. C.'s Part in It," in The National Catholic Welfare Council Bulletin, Washington, DC: The National Catholic Welfare Council, Vol. III, No. 4, September 1921, pp. 6-8.

Edward Corsi, In the shadow of Liberty; the chronicle of Ellis Island, New York: MacMillan & Company, 1935 (PD).

INS Reporter, US Immigration and Naturalization Service, Washington DC: US Government Printing Office, Vol. 34, No, 2, Spring 1986.

Naomi Kroll, Ellis Island Seawall Historic Structure Report, Architectural Preservation Division, Northeast Region, National Park Service, US Department of the Interior, New York, July 2003.

Noteworthy Content and Engaging Details 📸

1️⃣ View of the Men's Dormitory at Ellis Island

This image presents a dormitory setting where many male immigrants were temporarily housed during the inspection process. The starkness of the setting highlights the physical and emotional challenges of immigration. The bunk beds and limited amenities in the dormitory stand in stark contrast to the hopeful journeys these immigrants undertook to reach America.

📌 Noteworthy Image: View of the Men's Dormitory at Ellis Island (Leslie's Weekly, 24 October 1907). This photograph offers a rare glimpse into the living conditions of male immigrants as they awaited their fate in America.

2️⃣ A Mother and Daughter Mark a Bright Spot at Ellis Island

This touching image of a mother and daughter at Ellis Island highlights the emotional aspect of immigration. It underscores the familial bonds and the hopeful anticipation of a better life despite the trials and tribulations of the immigrant experience.

📌 Noteworthy Image: A Mother and Daughter Mark a Bright Spot at Ellis Island (The Baptist Home Mission Monthly, March 1908). This poignant moment humanizes the immigrant experience, making it relatable for students studying the personal side of immigration history.

3️⃣ Dutch Mother, Johanna Dykhof, 40, with Her Eleven Children

The image of Johanna Dykhof and her eleven children illustrates the scale and family dynamics of immigration during this era. Large family migrations were common, and this image speaks to the resilience and determination of immigrant families striving to build new lives in America.

📌 Noteworthy Image: Dutch Mother, Johanna Dykhof, 40, with Her Eleven Children at Ellis Island (National Park Service, 8 May 1908). The presence of this family emphasizes the strength of family units and the sacrifices made for a new life in a foreign land.

4️⃣ Greek Immigrant Woman Wearing Costume at Ellis Island, June 1909

The Greek immigrant woman in traditional attire, alongside her immigrant ID tag, highlights the rich cultural diversity of Ellis Island's immigrant population. It underscores the ethnic and cultural variety that formed the fabric of American society in the early 20th century.

📌 Noteworthy Image: Greek Immigrant Woman Wearing Costume at Ellis Island, June 1909 (National Park Service). This photograph is a stunning representation of the immigrant's cultural identity, offering a visual narrative of their connection to their heritage while navigating their new American life.

5️⃣ The Betrayed Polish Girl Who Came to Find Her Lover

This image presents a Polish girl detained at Ellis Island as part of a dramatic personal story involving love, deceit, and immigration law. It serves as a reminder that immigration laws were strict and often led to heartbreaking personal stories.

📌 Noteworthy Image: The Betrayed Polish Girl Who Came to Find Her Lover (The Home Missionary, March 1909). This image is a powerful reminder of the human side of immigration and the struggles immigrants faced upon arriving in the U.S.

6️⃣ Slovak Immigrant Children at Ellis Island

The image of Slovak immigrant children at Ellis Island is both heartwarming and informative, illustrating the youthfulness of many immigrants who arrived at the U.S. with their families. The resilience and adaptability of these children speak volumes about the long-term impact of immigration on shaping American society.

📌 Noteworthy Image: Slovak Immigrant Children at Ellis Island (The National Geographic Magazine, February 1917). This image exemplifies how immigration shaped the cultural diversity and future generations of the United States.

Educational and Historical Relevance 📚🌐

📌 For teachers and students, this collection is a goldmine of primary sources for studying the history of immigration to the United States. Students can use these images to:

🔹 Illustrate reports and family histories with powerful visuals that complement their research.

🔹 Understand the personal experiences behind the historical facts, making their learning more emotional and impactful.

🔹 Dive into ethnographic studies, exploring how various immigrant groups—such as Italians, Greeks, Poles, and Jews—contributed to the cultural mosaic of the U.S.

📌 For historians, these images are invaluable for documenting the daily realities of Ellis Island, revealing the challenges of processing and assimilating immigrants. The photographs serve as evidence of the human conditions that immigrants faced, from crowded dormitories to detention and medical examinations.

📌 For genealogists, these photos offer a direct connection to the past, providing context to the immigration experience of their ancestors. The images of families and individuals arriving at Ellis Island can help genealogists uncover the personal stories of those who entered the U.S. through this iconic gateway.

Final Thoughts – Why This Collection Matters 💡✨

The Ellis Island Image Library offers an exceptional look at the immigrant experience through historical photographs that tell the stories of millions of newcomers to the United States.

From children and families to individuals navigating immigration procedures, these images capture the struggles, hopes, and aspirations of immigrants seeking a new life in America.

For students and teachers, this collection provides rich historical context and personal insights that bring the immigrant experience to life.

These photographs serve as an essential resource for understanding the real-life experiences of immigrants and their Immigrants Just Arriving at Ellis Islandjourney to America.

🔎 Research & Essay Writing Using GG Archives

📢 This is NOT a blog! Instead, students and researchers are encouraged to use the GG Archives materials for academic and historical research.

🔎 Looking for primary sources on Titanic’s lifeboat disaster? GG Archives provides one of the most comprehensive visual collections available today.

🔎 Research & Essay Writing Using GG Archives

📢 This is NOT a blog! Instead, students and researchers are encouraged to use the GG Archives materials for academic and historical research.

🔎 Looking for primary sources on Titanic’s lifeboat disaster? GG Archives provides one of the most comprehensive visual collections available today.