sewing

Pialba is a coastal town and central business suburb of Hervey Bay in the Fraser Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. Pialba State School opened on 30 July 1884.[8] Radio broadcasting commenced in the Wide Bay area on Wednesday 14 January 1948 from a transmitter in Piabla under the call sign 4QB which is now ABC Wide Bay.[9] Hervey Bay State High School opened on 28 January 1964.[8] Hervey Bay Church of Christ was established in the mid-1970s. Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pialba#:~:text=Pialba%20State%20Sch....

One of the main figures in the early moves for a school in the Pialba district was Mr Boyle Martin of Bill Bill, about four miles from Pialba. On 22nd April 1878, a public meeting was held at Bill Bill to arrange for the establishment of a provisional school there to serve the people of the Bill Bill Scrub Settlement. At the meeting, a Building Committee consisting of John Nash, Neils Fredricksen, Mr. Hansen, Christian Moes and Boyle Martin, was elected. An application form and list of prospective scholars was sent to the Department. This stated that there were 21 children available for the school, all from the Bill Bill Scrub Settlement, and that a suitable building was available locally. It should be mentioned that provisional school buildings in those days were provided by the local people (even in the case of State schools, the people had to provide one-fifth of the cost), and could be any reasonably suitable building. In this case, the building available to the people was a Lutheran Church on the Pialba Road, constructed of slabs and sawn hardwood. Mr. J.H. Barkell, the first head teacher opened the school on the 30th July, 1884. Source: pialbass.eq.edu.au/our-school/history

Minimum wage for a textile worker in Bangladesh is now about $43 a month. How far we've come.

Extra Place is a little alley off E. 1st St., near the Bowery, now seemingly stumbling into gentrification. New York's Tenement Museum, www.tenement.org, not far away, has some restored tenement apartments that resemble this one, where garment piece work like the family here is doing, was frequently done. I recommend a visit and a tour with their incredibly knowledgeable docents. Work like this was typically done by the front window (tenements typically had only one room with an outside window), because of the better light. www.nytimes.com/2008/09/29/nyregion/29street.html vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/2008/01/extra-place.html

And yet they had lace on the shelf to the left and what looks like crystal on the buffet. We own a clock much like the one here. These people had dignity even if they had to work hard through their lives.

Children laboring before they should is bad. But today's youth should labor more. I am sure this family would have loved a free check every week. Who ends up in the long run with the most respect for themselves??

[http://www.flickr.com/photos/toots] Agree with what Cassies says. Just looking at all the small (and big) items in the photograph, it was clear that that they never compromised on quality or dignity in their personal life.

I'd hardly deem a family outing to the country to pick some fruit as "labor"... I guess perhaps to someone overly domesticated it would be...

[http://www.flickr.com/photos/bryan411] They pick fruit all summer and if you have ever done it you would have to admit it is hard work. At this time they would not have been paid much and would have had quotas to fill each day.

[http://www.flickr.com/photos/bellster] I have done it on my grandmother's farm... It was a good experience for me too, IMO!

No doubt but I would imagine your working conditions were a little better. Back packers do most of the fruit picking over here to supplement their holiday money.

former east-Europeans do it in the Netherlands, where locals don't fancy the hard work. Every now and then, a scandal comes to the surface, regarding housing or payment or both. You don't come harvesting asparagus or strawberries for fun, but out of need. The photo is old, but the work ánd the circumstances are still actual. I wonder if that doggie was of any help ;-)