Back in 1890, the US Government situated the federal immigration station at Ellis Island, a tiny island in New York City. During his years as registry clerk at said station, Augustus Sherman, an amateur photographer, took portraits of immigrants that came in through the island. His subjects were often persons, families or groups that have been detained for medical reasons or interrogation purposes. He would often encourage them to wear the traditional clothes they have brought in their suitcases, resulting in a myriad of widely diverse, interesting photos. Providing unassuming labels such as “Romanian shepherd,” “Albanian soldier,” and “Serbian gypsies” also added more intrigue to his subjects.
This has led him to take more than 200 captivating portraits ranging from tattoo-filled German stowaways to Guadeloupian and Ruthenian women wearing intricately designed clothes.
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The recent news of U.S. President Donald Trump’s travel ban may have blanketed this amazing piece of history, but the Ellis Island Collection at The New York Public Library Digital Collections remains to be a powerful message amidst the immigration conflict.
Source: designfaves.com