1905

Italian Immigrants Seeking Lost Luggage

American, 1874 - 1940

Lewis Hine’s photographs are known for helping the viewer understand what it might have felt like to immigrate to America in the early twentieth century. In this picture, a mother and her children are searching for their lost bags. Most immigrant families arrived with just a few things from home, so the loss of luggage would have been truly devastating. Despite the strain of a long journey in a crowded ship and of arriving in a new country, the strength of their family bond is clear. They stand close together, holding onto one another, and look confidently toward Hine’s camera. Unlike the many negative media depictions of immigrants at the time, this moving photograph is respectful of this newly arrived family.