Slovak Group, Ellis Island 1905

Editor: This photograph by Lewis Hine, simply titled *Slovak Group, Ellis Island*, captures a family amidst what appears to be their arrival. It’s incredibly moving, but also makes me think about what they carried with them, physically and metaphorically. What story do you think Hine is telling through the materiality of this image? Curator: Hine presents us with a powerful statement on labor and migration. Consider the enormous bag atop the woman's head – a tangible representation of the family's possessions, their past, and their hopes. It speaks volumes about the sheer physical burden of immigration, doesn't it? Editor: Absolutely. The bag’s size, compared to her stature, emphasizes the weight of their journey. Curator: Precisely. And what about the garments themselves? Notice the textures of the clothing; what might these materials suggest about their lives and the lives they hope to build? Editor: It's interesting to think about how something as simple as clothing can represent a whole history of labor and aspiration. I hadn’t considered it that way before!