The Boys 3x4
The Emigration Department company photographs (group portraits of children who traveled together) and other photographs in Subseries XIII.5 include the earliest photographs in the collection. This subseries contains prints and tintypes ca. 1890-1930's. In addition to these photographs, a complete list of Emigration Department case files containing thousands more prints, tintypes and postcards 1890's-1980's may be obtained from the reference department of the library at the New-York Historical Society. The photographers are unknown for all of the company photographs and most of the case file photographs. However, almost every tintype in the collection was taken by a single photographer named O'Connor, who worked from his studio on Eighth Avenue between 24th and 25th Streets. The tintypes most often depict adolescent boys and young men before they traveled to the country. Most of the tinytpes are individual portraits, some are group portraits of two or three boys, and a few tintypes include Trustee Evert Jansen Wendell with the boy.
The Boys 3x4
XIII.3.A - Lewis Hine Prints of CAS Country Facilities - consists of prints by Lewis Hine of CAS country facilities, taken in 1928, arranged by print number. The photographs include a nearly complete set of 5x7 proofs numbered 1-84. Three numbers (45, 67, 79) are not represented, three additional numbers (5A, 31A, and 71A) are included, and there are a few duplicate proofs as well. The sub-subseries also includes 8x10 prints of many of these images. The images include many unpopulated landscapes, as well as images with people (especially farm school boys). The photographs were taken at a transitional time for the CAS, as the newly acquired Bowdoin Farm property in New Hamburg N.Y. was about to become a camp and farm school, replacing the Brace Farm School.
Sub-subseries XIII.3.A consists of prints by Lewis Hine of CAS country facilities, taken in 1928, arranged by print number. The photographs include a nearly complete set of 5x7 proofs numbered 1-84. Three numbers (45, 67, 79) are not represented, three additional numbers (5A, 31A, and 71A) are included, and there are a few duplicate proofs as well. The sub-subseries also includes 8x10 prints of many of these images. The images include many unpopulated landscapes, as well as images with people (especially farm school boys). The photographs were taken at a transitional time for the CAS, as the newly acquired Bowdoin Farm property in New Hamburg N.Y. was about to become a camp and farm school, replacing the Brace Farm School.
Brace Farm School, in Valhalla N.Y., operated 1894-1928 with the goal of exposing boys and young men to farm work, to ease the transition to farm life they would experience after subsequent placement by the Emigration/Placing-Out Program. Bowdoin Farm School, in New Hamburg N.Y., began operating in 1929 and provided a more extensive farm training program to prepare young men for employment on farms.
The 1936-1944 album/report is a photo essay which appears to be a draft, with original photographs attached to the pages by photocorners. The author(s) and photographer are unknown. It is unknown whether any final version of the report was ever produced. The entire volume was housed in a 3-ring binder. The section relating to Bowdoin Farm, placed at the back of the binder, was written in 1939, with 2 supplemental pages from 1944. The Bowdoin Farm pages have numerous editorial comments penciled or penned in. The other sections from the front of the binder (Centers, Newsboys, Convalescent Homes) appear to have been written in 1944 and perhaps constitute a later draft, as they have fewer editorial comments. The section on Convalescent Homes does not include photographs, but the other sections are richly illustrated with many 2.5"x 2.5" photographs, attached to the pages by photocorners. Some photographs are missing from the pages. There is no section on camps, but there are four loose photographs which may or may not have been intended for a section on that subject.
An aircraft landing in these rural communities is rare and so a curious gathering quickly occupied the airstrip. And there I was, with my cargo and in full workman uniform proudly showing the company I work for while looking lost, literally! So, I turned and addressed the crowd, Avinun olgeta, mi wokman blo lukim airstrip blo yupla na mi kam lo halivim stretim dislpa airstrip. (Good afternoon everyone, I am an airstrip surveyor and I am here to help fix your airstrip) and asked further if there was any leader whom I could speak to. Then a teacher from the crowd approached me and offered to assist me with whatever I was here to do. We took my cargo and the young men, boys and girls all helped carry our cargo to his place. We spent the night there at his place and discussed the expedition with him. He was so grateful that we were there and so sent word to find 6 strong young boys to help me on my expedition. We lodged up for the night at his place resting for what was going to be the first hike to Olsobip airstrip.
On the next day, we packed up again this time with some young boys from Olsobip and set off. The girls from Golgubip were also returning that day as well so the bush was a symphony of young excited voices as the young boys teased the girls. As we parted, they bid their farewell to us and off we went down a separate track that would lead us to Kuyol airstrip. It seemed like this leg of the expedition was harder than when we started it. We literally would go straight up a wall then reach the top and then drop straight back down again. The high humidity did not help at all, as we constantly sweated and worked our hearts and lungs out to power through the terrain. We had initially set off at 8am that day and by 6pm we had made it 80 percent of the way to Kuyol and so we had to stop at a village perched on ridge. From this village I could see Kuyol way off in the distance. Between Kuyol and the village ran a steep valley. But I was too exhausted to worry about that. For that moment in time, I wanted to rest, get into dry clothes and remove my wet muddied boots. I had dinner that evening and then as usual, I sociallised with the locals over the crackle of fire in the smoke-filled fire hut. They told me there was a certain area you could get a cell signal and so I hurried over to the location. It was over by the church near its wall outside, and it so happened that it was raining heavily. Regardless, I took my phone out and called up my dad. It was nice hearing a familiar voice and we spoke for a few minutes before I bid him goodnight and returned. 041b061a72