Ellis Island
Hine, Lewis Wickes, Slavic Mother & Child, Ellis Island (George Eastman House)
Portrait of three women and a baby. Just arrived to Ellis Island along with hundreds of other immigrants that day. In search of a better life. USA 1905.
This image, an iconic and evocative mother and child image, portrays the uncertainty of arriving in a strange land, and a mother's need to ensure the safety of her child. These people were amongst the hundreds to arrive at Ellis Island that day – and one of thousands that arrived in the early years of the new century, looking for a better life in a new country. Hine’s determination of depict their individualism however, is unwavering.