[Scottish Boys in Kilts, Ellis Island, New York]

1905–1917, printed later

Not on view

Between 1880 and 1910, the United States witnessed an incredible growth in annual immigration, which nearly doubled from 450,000 to 880,000 arrivals. The photographic career of Augustus Frederick Sherman coincided with this extraordinary period in the nation’s history. Working concurrently with the social reformer Lewis Hine, Sherman distinguished his photographs by isolating individuals from the cacophony of the great reception hall at Ellis Island. In contrast to Hine, who worked as an independent photographer, Sherman gained access to his subjects by leveraging his position as an employee of the Executive Division of Immigration, where he worked from 1892 until his death in 1925. As seen here, he sought out diverse racial and ethnic types and documented with simple respect the optimistic if generally anxious newcomers, often clothed in their national dress.

Artwork Details

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

Title: [Scottish Boys in Kilts, Ellis Island, New York]
Artist: Augustus Frederick Sherman (American, Lynn, Pennsylvania 1865–1925 New York)
Date: 1905–1917, printed later
Medium: Gelatin silver print
Dimensions: Image: 4 13/16 × 3 11/16 in. (12.2 × 9.3 cm)
Sheet: 4 15/16 × 4 1/16 in. (12.6 × 10.3 cm)
Classification: Photographs
Credit Line: The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation Fund, through Joyce and Robert Menschel, 2014
Object Number: 2014.555.12
Curatorial Department: Photographs

More Artwork

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[Slovakian Mother and her Children, Ellis Island, New York], Augustus Frederick Sherman American, Gelatin silver print — [Slovakian Mother and her Children, Ellis Island, New York]
Augustus Frederick Sherman
1905–1917, printed later

[Swedish Woman, Ellis Island, New York], Augustus Frederick Sherman American, Gelatin silver print — [Swedish Woman, Ellis Island, New York]
Augustus Frederick Sherman
1905–1917, printed later

[Chinese Woman, Ellis Island, New York], Augustus Frederick Sherman American, Gelatin silver print — [Chinese Woman, Ellis Island, New York]
Augustus Frederick Sherman
1905–1917, printed later

[Dutch Children, Ellis Island, New York], Augustus Frederick Sherman American, Gelatin silver print — [Dutch Children, Ellis Island, New York]
Augustus Frederick Sherman
1905–1917, printed later

[Hindu Man, Ellis Island, New York], Augustus Frederick Sherman American, Gelatin silver print — [Hindu Man, Ellis Island, New York]
Augustus Frederick Sherman
1905–1917, printed later

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