[Detroit, 1920s; Originals in the Walter P. Reuther Library's collections, via the Virtual Motor City Project]

 

Previous Week's Urchins

 

Nearly all of these urchins were discovered in the photography archives of the Library of Congress (and available without copyright restrictions online). Otherwise, urchin photos will be credited to the appropriate photographer with a link to its source (unless they come from my own collection of photographs from unknown photographers). If there is ever a copyright concern, do not hesitate to contact me.

[Detroit, 1920s; Originals in the Walter P. Reuther Library's collections, via the Virtual Motor City Project]

 

Previous Week's Urchins

 

Nearly all of these urchins were discovered in the photography archives of the Library of Congress (and available without copyright restrictions online). Otherwise, urchin photos will be credited to the appropriate photographer with a link to its source (unless they come from my own collection of photographs from unknown photographers). If there is ever a copyright concern, do not hesitate to contact me.

Arthur Rothstein, photographer, Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information Photograph Collection (Library of Congress).

 

Previous Week's Urchins

 

Nearly all of these urchins were discovered in the photography archives of the Library of Congress (and available without copyright restrictions online). Otherwise, urchin photos will be credited to the appropriate photographer with a link to its source (unless they come from my own collection of photographs from unknown photographers). If there is ever a copyright concern, do not hesitate to contact me.

"Two young carrying-in boys in Alexandria (Va.) Glass Factory. Frank Clark (on left) 702 N. Patrick St., could neither read nor write, having been to school only a few weeks in his life. Two older brothers work in glass factory, and his father is a candy maker. Frank is working on night shift this week. Ashby Corbin (on right), 413 N. St. Asaph St. Has had only four terms of schooling. Location: Alexandria, Virginia." 

 

Previous Week's Urchin

 

Nearly all of these urchins were discovered in the photography archives of the Library of Congress (and available without copyright restrictions online). Otherwise, urchin photos will be credited to the appropriate photographer with a link to its source (unless they come from my own collection of photographs from unknown photographers). If there is ever a copyright concern, do not hesitate to contact me.

Group of boys from canning factories. School #1, Buffalo, N.Y. (from left to right): 1) Frank Lefasso, 13 years old last summer. Worked in canning factory at Barker. 2) Anthony Traeisi[?], 10 years old last summer. Worked on beans South Dayton, Cannery. 3) James Schillacer, 12 years old last summer. Earned 50 cents a day putting cans in holes in factory St. Catherines, Canada. 4) Peter Delsalvo, 13 years old last summer. Worked in the factory at Brant, N.Y. 5) Anthony Baraone, 11 years old last summer. Worked on apples, beans, tomatoes, in factory at Wilson, N.Y. 6) Thoma Laessi, 12 years old last summer. Worked on beans in sheds at Hamburg, N.Y. 7-9 A.M.; 3-5 P.M. 7) Joseph Lanca, 12 years old last summer. Strings beans in sheds. (All these boys worked on tomatoes.) Location: Buffalo, New York (State) Photographer: Lewis Wickes Hine.

 

Previous Week's Urchin

 

Nearly all of these urchins were discovered in the photography archives of the Library of Congress (and available without copyright restrictions online). Otherwise, urchin photos will be credited to the appropriate photographer with a link to its source (unless they come from my own collection of photographs from unknown photographers). If there is ever a copyright concern, do not hesitate to contact me.

From the George Grantham Bain Collection, (Library of Congress).

Before Halloween became the holiday for kids to dress up in autumn, children would wear masks on the final Thursday in November and go door to door where adults would give them fruit or scatter a bunch of pennies on the ground and laugh while the poor urchins scrambled for them. The tradition was known as Thanksgiving Masking. These photos were taken in New York.

 

Previous Week's Urchin

 

Nearly all of these urchins were discovered in the photography archives of the Library of Congress (and available without copyright restrictions online). Otherwise, urchin photos will be credited to the appropriate photographer with a link to its source (unless they come from my own collection of photographs from unknown photographers). If there is ever a copyright concern, do not hesitate to contact me.

 

Previous Week's Urchins

 

Nearly all of these urchins were discovered in the photography archives of the Library of Congress (and available without copyright restrictions online). Otherwise, urchin photos will be credited to the appropriate photographer with a link to its source (unless they come from my own collection of photographs from unknown photographers). If there is ever a copyright concern, do not hesitate to contact me.

 

Carl Mydans, Photographer (Farm Security Administration). "Children in their backyard near the Capitol. This area inhabited by both black and white."  

I like the way the two girls are looking at each other. 

 

Previous Week's Urchins

 

Nearly all of these urchins were discovered in the photography archives of the Library of Congress (and available without copyright restrictions online). Otherwise, urchin photos will be credited to the appropriate photographer with a link to its source (unless they come from my own collection of photographs from unknown photographers). If there is ever a copyright concern, do not hesitate to contact me.

[Detroit, 1920s; Originals in the Walter P. Reuther Library's collections,  

via the Virtual Motor City Project]

Previous Week's Urchin

 

Nearly all of these urchins were discovered in the photography archives of the Library of Congress (and available without copyright restrictions online). Otherwise, urchin photos will be credited to the appropriate photographer with a link to its source (unless they come from my own collection of photographs from unknown photographers). If there is ever a copyright concern, do not hesitate to contact me.

via allhails' flickr stream

 

Previous Week's Urchin

 

Nearly all of these urchins were discovered in the photography archives of the Library of Congress (and available without copyright restrictions online). Otherwise, urchin photos will be credited to the appropriate photographer with a link to its source (unless they come from my own collection of photographs from unknown photographers). If there is ever a copyright concern, do not hesitate to contact me.

 

Previous Week's Urchin

 

Nearly all of these urchins were discovered in the photography archives of the Library of Congress (and available without copyright restrictions online). Otherwise, urchin photos will be credited to the appropriate photographer with a link to its source (unless they come from my own collection of photographs from unknown photographers). If there is ever a copyright concern, do not hesitate to contact me.

"The close of a career in New York," from the Detroit Publishing Company.

 

Previous Week's Urchin

 

Nearly all of these urchins were discovered in the photography archives of the Library of Congress (and available without copyright restrictions online). Otherwise, urchin photos will be credited to the appropriate photographer with a link to its source (unless they come from my own collection of photographs from unknown photographers). If there is ever a copyright concern, do not hesitate to contact me.

Although similar to the work of Lewis Hine often featured here, this one actually comes from the diverse and interesting archives of the Detroit Publishing Company digitized by the Library of Congress. Hine's work for the National Child Labor Committee (NCLC) is always annotated with information about the subjects, but there is nothing about these boys in the LOC record, so all we can assume about them is that they were Appalachian coal breakers. Check out the little gas lamps on their cloth hats. 

Previous Week's Urchin

 

Nearly all of these urchins were discovered in the photography archives of the Library of Congress (and available without copyright restrictions online). Otherwise, urchin photos will be credited to the appropriate photographer with a link to its source (unless they come from my own collection of photographs from unknown photographers). If there is ever a copyright concern, do not hesitate to contact me.

The Lower East Side Tenement Museum just put its photo collection online. Every time I go back to New York I stop by the museum to see what they've been up to and this past weekend was the first time I'd seen the shop in its new location. I can't wait to see the museum when all the construction is completed.

 

Previous Week's Urchin

 

Nearly all of these urchins were discovered in the photography archives of the Library of Congress (and available without copyright restrictions online). Otherwise, urchin photos will be credited to the appropriate photographer with a link to its source (unless they come from my own collection of photographs from unknown photographers). If there is ever a copyright concern, do not hesitate to contact me.

On some days the fellows in charge almost have an obligation just to look the other way. Detroit, 1930s.

 

Previous Week's Urchins

 

Nearly all of these urchins were discovered in the photography archives of the Library of Congress (and available without copyright restrictions online). Otherwise, urchin photos will be credited to the appropriate photographer with a link to its source (unless they come from my own collection of photographs from unknown photographers). If there is ever a copyright concern, do not hesitate to contact me.

 

Previous Week's Urchin

 

Nearly all of these urchins were discovered in the photography archives of the Library of Congress (and available without copyright restrictions online). Otherwise, urchin photos will be credited to the appropriate photographer with a link to its source (unless they come from my own collection of photographs from unknown photographers). If there is ever a copyright concern, do not hesitate to contact me.

That dapper little urchin front row center is none other than Jackie Coogan, the child actor who played the kid to Charlie Chaplin's tramp in The Kid, Oliver Twist to Lon Chaney's Fagin in the 1922 silent version of the Dickens classic, and the orphan Tim Kelly who goes to live with a junk man in a great film called The Rag Man I caught on TCM years ago and haven't been able to find since. That's like a street urchin film trifecta. This photo was taken when Coogan was visiting his adoring Detroit fans at the Fisher Theater. Look at how cool he is.

In the 1960s, Coogan played Uncle Fester on the Addams Family TV series.

 

Previous Week's Urchins

 

Nearly all of these urchins were discovered in the photography archives of the Library of Congress (and available without copyright restrictions online). Otherwise, urchin photos will be credited to the appropriate photographer with a link to its source (unless they come from my own collection of photographs from unknown photographers). If there is ever a copyright concern, do not hesitate to contact me.

I think I just need to face the fact that every one of these urchins is more awesome than I will ever be. I sure wish Amelia Earhart hats would return to fashion among the youth of today. Pay particular attention to the newsboys right behind the bike. And the guys up by the columns. My grandpa was a newsboy during that era, and I sure wish I had a picture of him and his buddies.

The Cleveland Call & Post has been serving Cleveland's black community since 1927. Today it is owned by Don King.

Photo from the Allen Cole Collection at the Western Reserve Historical Society.

 

Previous Week's Urchins

Nearly all of these urchins were discovered in the photography archives of the Library of Congress (and available without copyright restrictions online). Otherwise, urchin photos will be credited to the appropriate photographer with a link to its source (unless they come from my own collection of photographs from unknown photographers). If there is ever a copyright concern, do not hesitate to contact me.

Never gave much thought to a city waking up after a bombing. Kids still need somewhere to play.

 

Previous Week's Urchin

Nearly all of these urchins were discovered in the photography archives of the Library of Congress (and available without copyright restrictions online). Otherwise, urchin photos will be credited to the appropriate photographer with a link to its source (unless they come from my own collection of photographs from unknown photographers). If there is ever a copyright concern, do not hesitate to contact me.