Tag archive

1939 Migrant Workers

Explore the archive through editorial features, geography, and historical collections.

Archive results

Browse the collection

The photo shows a family outside a large military-style tent that appears to be their living quarters. In the foreground, a young child, likely a girl given the dress, stands on a rocky terrain, sucking her thumb, seemingly lost in thought. To the right, seated on the wooden steps of the tent, are three individuals who appear to be family members: a man with his arm around a small child and a boy sitting beside them, all looking weary or contemplative. The setting suggests a temporary, perhaps makeshift, living situation. The surrounding landscape is sparse and scrubby, indicating a rural or undeveloped area.

Migrant laborer’s family near Canal Point Packinghouse, Florida

A glimpse into the past: Marion Post Wolcott's 1939 photo captures the quiet strength of a migrant family in Florida, highlighting the realities of rural American life during the Great Depression.