truancy

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.

Is it likely that a clergyman would have been a School Attendance Officer? I doubt it.

My great-grandfather was a School Attendance Officer. It was just one of many posts he held, another of which was Inspector of Nuisances.

Great discovery and photo

The three at the front are wearing hand-me -downs. The boy on the left was from a different social class entirely. Totally posed.

Staged, do we think? So that when Mr Mason's lantern slides were shown around the country, this one would strike fear into kids on the mitch, or with mitching plans hatching in their hearts?

except = expect

This photo looks like The Gleaners by Jean-François Millet

Did Lewis Hine write the notes about these photos? The tone is great - informal and informative all at the same time.

Really moving image. I love the focus.