These turn-of-the-century photos of Ellis Island immigrants capture the diverse cultures and people that came to the United States in the search of something more.
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The Faces Of America: 16 Stunning Colorized Portraits Of Ellis Island Immigrants
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1 of 45An immigrant family on Ellis Island looks out across New York Harbor at the Statue of Liberty. Circa 1930s.FPG/Getty Images 2 of 45An Italian immigrant woman and her three children on their way to join the family patriarch in Scranton, Pennsylvania. 1908.Lewis W. Hine/Museum of the City of New York/Getty Images 3 of 45A young Russian Jewish immigrant. 1905.Lewis W. Hine/Stringer/Getty Images 4 of 45The Great Hall (Registry Room) at Ellis Island. The immigrants waiting here have passed the first mental inspection. Circa 1902-1913.Edwin Levick/New York Public Library 5 of 45A family that has been detained looks out the window. 1950.Bettmann/Contributor/Gety Images 6 of 45A group of immigrants traveling aboard a ship celebrate as they catch their first glimpse of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island in New York Harbor. 1915.Edwin Levick/Getty Images 7 of 45An immigrant woman from the eastern European region of Ruthenia. Circa 1906.Augustus F. Sherman/New York Public Library 8 of 45An Italian mother sits with her child as other immigrants look on in the background. 1905.Lewis W. Hine/Wikimedia Commons 9 of 45An immigrant family looks out over the water from Ellis Island. Circa 1912.Library of Congress 10 of 45Three Slavic women and a baby after arriving at Ellis Island. 1905.Lewis W. Hine/Wikimedia Commons 11 of 45Immigrants eat in the dining room for detainees. Circa 1900.Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images 12 of 45An Italian immigrant woman. Circa 1905-1914.Augstus F. Sherman/Library of Congress 13 of 45A group of would-be immigrants waves goodbye to the Statue of Liberty from aboard a Coast Guard ship after being turned away at Ellis Island and deported. 1952.Al Ravenna/New York World-Telegram and The Sun/Library of Congress 14 of 45Give young women sit on the dock. Circa 1910.George Grantham Bain/Library of Congress 15 of 45Inside the immigration processing facilities. Circa 1880.Fotosearch/Stringer/Getty Images 16 of 45An immigrant family that has been granted entry looks across the water toward New York as they wait for the ferry to take them there. 1925.Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images 17 of 45A German stowaway. 1911.Augustus F. Sherman/New York Public Library 18 of 45A large crowd of immigrants stands outside just after their arrival at Ellis Island. 1902.ullstein bild/ullstein bild via Getty Images 19 of 45Would-be immigrants stand in the detention pen on the roof of Ellis Island’s Main Building, where they’ll await deportation. Circa 1902.Library of Congress 20 of 45A young immigrant boy carries some of his baggage. Circa 1880.Fotosearch/Stringer/Getty Images 21 of 45"A family of seven sons and one daughter." 1904.Lewis W. Hine/New York Public Library 22 of 45Immigrant children sit side by side on a window ledge at the overcrowded immigration station at Ellis Island. 1920.Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images 23 of 45Immigrants line up at the money exchange counter. Circa 1902-1913.Edwin Levick/New York Public Library 24 of 45Immigrants stand near the dock at Ellis Island as the Statue of Liberty looms in the background. Circa 1900.Albert Harlingue/Roger Viollet/Getty Images 25 of 45The Main Building. Circa 1905.Library of Congress 26 of 45Guadeloupean woman. 1911.Augustus F. Sherman/New York Public Library 27 of 45A city health officer examines immigrant children amid a typhus scare. 1911.Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images 28 of 45A customs official attaches labels to the coats of a German immigrant family at the Registry Hall on Ellis Island. 1905.Lewis W. Hine/Stringer/Getty Images 29 of 45Two children stand near a luggage area. Circa 1915-1920.Bain News Service/Library of Congress 30 of 45An immigrant woman sleeps with her baggage on a bench. 1904.Lewis Hine/New York Public Library 31 of 45Immigrants gather near luggage. Circa 1917.Bain News Service/Library of Congress 32 of 45"Cossack man from the steppes of Russia." Circa 1905-1914.Augustus F. Sherman/New York Public Library 33 of 45Immigrants eat inside Ellis Island’s dining hall, where they were provided with a free meal. Circa 1902-1913.Edwin Levick/New York Public Library 34 of 45Female immigrants stand in line for processing. Date unspecified.Bain News Service/Library of Congress 35 of 45"Two emigrants on the seashore." Circa 1912.Underwood & Underwood/Library of Congress 36 of 45Immigrants await processing inside the Main Building. Circa 1907-1917.Bain News Service/Library of Congress 37 of 45Three Dutch women. Circa 1905-1914.Augustus F. Sherman/New York Public Library 38 of 45Immigrants undergo medical examination. Circa 1902-1913.Edwin Levick/New York Public Library 39 of 45Immigrants stand outside one of Ellis Island’s buildings. Date unspecified.Department of the Treasury/Public Health Service/National Archives and Records Administration 40 of 45Immigrants wait on the dock. 1912.Underwood & Underwood/Library of Congress 41 of 45Immigrants gather on the Ellis Island grounds. Date unspecified.Bain News Service/Library of Congress 42 of 45A large group of immigrants sits outdoors on Ellis Island. Date unspecified.Bain News Service/Library of Congress 43 of 45Children and adults pose inside one of Ellis Island’s buildings. Date unspecified.Department of the Treasury/Public Health Service/National Archives and Records Administration 44 of 45Immigrants arrive at the Main Building. 1907.Library of Congress 45 of 45Like this gallery?Share it:
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44 Poignant Photos Of Ellis Island Immigrants That Convey The Hope And Hardship Of Coming To America View Gallery
After scraping together whatever money they could, packing their entire lives into bags and trunks, and spending as much as two weeks in the third class accommodations of massive transatlantic steamships, poor immigrants largely from southern and eastern Europe but ultimately from all over the world would converge en masse at the inspection station on New York’s Ellis Island.
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The Faces Of America: 16 Stunning Colorized Portraits Of Ellis Island Immigrants
35 Ellis Island Immigration Photos That Capture American Diversity
29 Historical Photos Of The Immigrant Laborers Who Helped Build America
1 of 45An immigrant family on Ellis Island looks out across New York Harbor at the Statue of Liberty. Circa 1930s.FPG/Getty Images 2 of 45An Italian immigrant woman and her three children on their way to join the family patriarch in Scranton, Pennsylvania. 1908.Lewis W. Hine/Museum of the City of New York/Getty Images 3 of 45A young Russian Jewish immigrant. 1905.Lewis W. Hine/Stringer/Getty Images 4 of 45The Great Hall (Registry Room) at Ellis Island. The immigrants waiting here have passed the first mental inspection. Circa 1902-1913.Edwin Levick/New York Public Library 5 of 45A family that has been detained looks out the window. 1950.Bettmann/Contributor/Gety Images 6 of 45A group of immigrants traveling aboard a ship celebrate as they catch their first glimpse of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island in New York Harbor. 1915.Edwin Levick/Getty Images 7 of 45An immigrant woman from the eastern European region of Ruthenia. Circa 1906.Augustus F. Sherman/New York Public Library 8 of 45An Italian mother sits with her child as other immigrants look on in the background. 1905.Lewis W. Hine/Wikimedia Commons 9 of 45An immigrant family looks out over the water from Ellis Island. Circa 1912.Library of Congress 10 of 45Three Slavic women and a baby after arriving at Ellis Island. 1905.Lewis W. Hine/Wikimedia Commons 11 of 45Immigrants eat in the dining room for detainees. Circa 1900.Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images 12 of 45An Italian immigrant woman. Circa 1905-1914.Augstus F. Sherman/Library of Congress 13 of 45A group of would-be immigrants waves goodbye to the Statue of Liberty from aboard a Coast Guard ship after being turned away at Ellis Island and deported. 1952.Al Ravenna/New York World-Telegram and The Sun/Library of Congress 14 of 45Give young women sit on the dock. Circa 1910.George Grantham Bain/Library of Congress 15 of 45Inside the immigration processing facilities. Circa 1880.Fotosearch/Stringer/Getty Images 16 of 45An immigrant family that has been granted entry looks across the water toward New York as they wait for the ferry to take them there. 1925.Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images 17 of 45A German stowaway. 1911.Augustus F. Sherman/New York Public Library 18 of 45A large crowd of immigrants stands outside just after their arrival at Ellis Island. 1902.ullstein bild/ullstein bild via Getty Images 19 of 45Would-be immigrants stand in the detention pen on the roof of Ellis Island’s Main Building, where they’ll await deportation. Circa 1902.Library of Congress 20 of 45A young immigrant boy carries some of his baggage. Circa 1880.Fotosearch/Stringer/Getty Images 21 of 45"A family of seven sons and one daughter." 1904.Lewis W. Hine/New York Public Library 22 of 45Immigrant children sit side by side on a window ledge at the overcrowded immigration station at Ellis Island. 1920.Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images 23 of 45Immigrants line up at the money exchange counter. Circa 1902-1913.Edwin Levick/New York Public Library 24 of 45Immigrants stand near the dock at Ellis Island as the Statue of Liberty looms in the background. Circa 1900.Albert Harlingue/Roger Viollet/Getty Images 25 of 45The Main Building. Circa 1905.Library of Congress 26 of 45Guadeloupean woman. 1911.Augustus F. Sherman/New York Public Library 27 of 45A city health officer examines immigrant children amid a typhus scare. 1911.Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images 28 of 45A customs official attaches labels to the coats of a German immigrant family at the Registry Hall on Ellis Island. 1905.Lewis W. Hine/Stringer/Getty Images 29 of 45Two children stand near a luggage area. Circa 1915-1920.Bain News Service/Library of Congress 30 of 45An immigrant woman sleeps with her baggage on a bench. 1904.Lewis Hine/New York Public Library 31 of 45Immigrants gather near luggage. Circa 1917.Bain News Service/Library of Congress 32 of 45"Cossack man from the steppes of Russia." Circa 1905-1914.Augustus F. Sherman/New York Public Library 33 of 45Immigrants eat inside Ellis Island’s dining hall, where they were provided with a free meal. Circa 1902-1913.Edwin Levick/New York Public Library 34 of 45Female immigrants stand in line for processing. Date unspecified.Bain News Service/Library of Congress 35 of 45"Two emigrants on the seashore." Circa 1912.Underwood & Underwood/Library of Congress 36 of 45Immigrants await processing inside the Main Building. Circa 1907-1917.Bain News Service/Library of Congress 37 of 45Three Dutch women. Circa 1905-1914.Augustus F. Sherman/New York Public Library 38 of 45Immigrants undergo medical examination. Circa 1902-1913.Edwin Levick/New York Public Library 39 of 45Immigrants stand outside one of Ellis Island’s buildings. Date unspecified.Department of the Treasury/Public Health Service/National Archives and Records Administration 40 of 45Immigrants wait on the dock. 1912.Underwood & Underwood/Library of Congress 41 of 45Immigrants gather on the Ellis Island grounds. Date unspecified.Bain News Service/Library of Congress 42 of 45A large group of immigrants sits outdoors on Ellis Island. Date unspecified.Bain News Service/Library of Congress 43 of 45Children and adults pose inside one of Ellis Island’s buildings. Date unspecified.Department of the Treasury/Public Health Service/National Archives and Records Administration 44 of 45Immigrants arrive at the Main Building. 1907.Library of Congress 45 of 45Like this gallery?Share it:
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And if you liked this post, be sure to check out these popular posts:
The Faces Of America: 16 Stunning Colorized Portraits Of Ellis Island Immigrants
35 Ellis Island Immigration Photos That Capture American Diversity
29 Historical Photos Of The Immigrant Laborers Who Helped Build America
1 of 45An immigrant family on Ellis Island looks out across New York Harbor at the Statue of Liberty. Circa 1930s.FPG/Getty Images 2 of 45An Italian immigrant woman and her three children on their way to join the family patriarch in Scranton, Pennsylvania. 1908.Lewis W. Hine/Museum of the City of New York/Getty Images 3 of 45A young Russian Jewish immigrant. 1905.Lewis W. Hine/Stringer/Getty Images 4 of 45The Great Hall (Registry Room) at Ellis Island. The immigrants waiting here have passed the first mental inspection. Circa 1902-1913.Edwin Levick/New York Public Library 5 of 45A family that has been detained looks out the window. 1950.Bettmann/Contributor/Gety Images 6 of 45A group of immigrants traveling aboard a ship celebrate as they catch their first glimpse of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island in New York Harbor. 1915.Edwin Levick/Getty Images 7 of 45An immigrant woman from the eastern European region of Ruthenia. Circa 1906.Augustus F. Sherman/New York Public Library 8 of 45An Italian mother sits with her child as other immigrants look on in the background. 1905.Lewis W. Hine/Wikimedia Commons 9 of 45An immigrant family looks out over the water from Ellis Island. Circa 1912.Library of Congress 10 of 45Three Slavic women and a baby after arriving at Ellis Island. 1905.Lewis W. Hine/Wikimedia Commons 11 of 45Immigrants eat in the dining room for detainees. Circa 1900.Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images 12 of 45An Italian immigrant woman. Circa 1905-1914.Augstus F. Sherman/Library of Congress 13 of 45A group of would-be immigrants waves goodbye to the Statue of Liberty from aboard a Coast Guard ship after being turned away at Ellis Island and deported. 1952.Al Ravenna/New York World-Telegram and The Sun/Library of Congress 14 of 45Give young women sit on the dock. Circa 1910.George Grantham Bain/Library of Congress 15 of 45Inside the immigration processing facilities. Circa 1880.Fotosearch/Stringer/Getty Images 16 of 45An immigrant family that has been granted entry looks across the water toward New York as they wait for the ferry to take them there. 1925.Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images 17 of 45A German stowaway. 1911.Augustus F. Sherman/New York Public Library 18 of 45A large crowd of immigrants stands outside just after their arrival at Ellis Island. 1902.ullstein bild/ullstein bild via Getty Images 19 of 45Would-be immigrants stand in the detention pen on the roof of Ellis Island’s Main Building, where they’ll await deportation. Circa 1902.Library of Congress 20 of 45A young immigrant boy carries some of his baggage. Circa 1880.Fotosearch/Stringer/Getty Images 21 of 45"A family of seven sons and one daughter." 1904.Lewis W. Hine/New York Public Library 22 of 45Immigrant children sit side by side on a window ledge at the overcrowded immigration station at Ellis Island. 1920.Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images 23 of 45Immigrants line up at the money exchange counter. Circa 1902-1913.Edwin Levick/New York Public Library 24 of 45Immigrants stand near the dock at Ellis Island as the Statue of Liberty looms in the background. Circa 1900.Albert Harlingue/Roger Viollet/Getty Images 25 of 45The Main Building. Circa 1905.Library of Congress 26 of 45Guadeloupean woman. 1911.Augustus F. Sherman/New York Public Library 27 of 45A city health officer examines immigrant children amid a typhus scare. 1911.Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images 28 of 45A customs official attaches labels to the coats of a German immigrant family at the Registry Hall on Ellis Island. 1905.Lewis W. Hine/Stringer/Getty Images 29 of 45Two children stand near a luggage area. Circa 1915-1920.Bain News Service/Library of Congress 30 of 45An immigrant woman sleeps with her baggage on a bench. 1904.Lewis Hine/New York Public Library 31 of 45Immigrants gather near luggage. Circa 1917.Bain News Service/Library of Congress 32 of 45"Cossack man from the steppes of Russia." Circa 1905-1914.Augustus F. Sherman/New York Public Library 33 of 45Immigrants eat inside Ellis Island’s dining hall, where they were provided with a free meal. Circa 1902-1913.Edwin Levick/New York Public Library 34 of 45Female immigrants stand in line for processing. Date unspecified.Bain News Service/Library of Congress 35 of 45"Two emigrants on the seashore." Circa 1912.Underwood & Underwood/Library of Congress 36 of 45Immigrants await processing inside the Main Building. Circa 1907-1917.Bain News Service/Library of Congress 37 of 45Three Dutch women. Circa 1905-1914.Augustus F. Sherman/New York Public Library 38 of 45Immigrants undergo medical examination. Circa 1902-1913.Edwin Levick/New York Public Library 39 of 45Immigrants stand outside one of Ellis Island’s buildings. Date unspecified.Department of the Treasury/Public Health Service/National Archives and Records Administration 40 of 45Immigrants wait on the dock. 1912.Underwood & Underwood/Library of Congress 41 of 45Immigrants gather on the Ellis Island grounds. Date unspecified.Bain News Service/Library of Congress 42 of 45A large group of immigrants sits outdoors on Ellis Island. Date unspecified.Bain News Service/Library of Congress 43 of 45Children and adults pose inside one of Ellis Island’s buildings. Date unspecified.Department of the Treasury/Public Health Service/National Archives and Records Administration 44 of 45Immigrants arrive at the Main Building. 1907.Library of Congress 45 of 45Like this gallery?Share it:
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The Faces Of America: 16 Stunning Colorized Portraits Of Ellis Island Immigrants
35 Ellis Island Immigration Photos That Capture American Diversity
29 Historical Photos Of The Immigrant Laborers Who Helped Build America
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1 of 45An immigrant family on Ellis Island looks out across New York Harbor at the Statue of Liberty. Circa 1930s.FPG/Getty Images 2 of 45An Italian immigrant woman and her three children on their way to join the family patriarch in Scranton, Pennsylvania. 1908.Lewis W. Hine/Museum of the City of New York/Getty Images 3 of 45A young Russian Jewish immigrant. 1905.Lewis W. Hine/Stringer/Getty Images 4 of 45The Great Hall (Registry Room) at Ellis Island. The immigrants waiting here have passed the first mental inspection. Circa 1902-1913.Edwin Levick/New York Public Library 5 of 45A family that has been detained looks out the window. 1950.Bettmann/Contributor/Gety Images 6 of 45A group of immigrants traveling aboard a ship celebrate as they catch their first glimpse of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island in New York Harbor. 1915.Edwin Levick/Getty Images 7 of 45An immigrant woman from the eastern European region of Ruthenia. Circa 1906.Augustus F. Sherman/New York Public Library 8 of 45An Italian mother sits with her child as other immigrants look on in the background. 1905.Lewis W. Hine/Wikimedia Commons 9 of 45An immigrant family looks out over the water from Ellis Island. Circa 1912.Library of Congress 10 of 45Three Slavic women and a baby after arriving at Ellis Island. 1905.Lewis W. Hine/Wikimedia Commons 11 of 45Immigrants eat in the dining room for detainees. Circa 1900.Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images 12 of 45An Italian immigrant woman. Circa 1905-1914.Augstus F. Sherman/Library of Congress 13 of 45A group of would-be immigrants waves goodbye to the Statue of Liberty from aboard a Coast Guard ship after being turned away at Ellis Island and deported. 1952.Al Ravenna/New York World-Telegram and The Sun/Library of Congress 14 of 45Give young women sit on the dock. Circa 1910.George Grantham Bain/Library of Congress 15 of 45Inside the immigration processing facilities. Circa 1880.Fotosearch/Stringer/Getty Images 16 of 45An immigrant family that has been granted entry looks across the water toward New York as they wait for the ferry to take them there. 1925.Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images 17 of 45A German stowaway. 1911.Augustus F. Sherman/New York Public Library 18 of 45A large crowd of immigrants stands outside just after their arrival at Ellis Island. 1902.ullstein bild/ullstein bild via Getty Images 19 of 45Would-be immigrants stand in the detention pen on the roof of Ellis Island’s Main Building, where they’ll await deportation. Circa 1902.Library of Congress 20 of 45A young immigrant boy carries some of his baggage. Circa 1880.Fotosearch/Stringer/Getty Images 21 of 45"A family of seven sons and one daughter." 1904.Lewis W. Hine/New York Public Library 22 of 45Immigrant children sit side by side on a window ledge at the overcrowded immigration station at Ellis Island. 1920.Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images 23 of 45Immigrants line up at the money exchange counter. Circa 1902-1913.Edwin Levick/New York Public Library 24 of 45Immigrants stand near the dock at Ellis Island as the Statue of Liberty looms in the background. Circa 1900.Albert Harlingue/Roger Viollet/Getty Images 25 of 45The Main Building. Circa 1905.Library of Congress 26 of 45Guadeloupean woman. 1911.Augustus F. Sherman/New York Public Library 27 of 45A city health officer examines immigrant children amid a typhus scare. 1911.Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images 28 of 45A customs official attaches labels to the coats of a German immigrant family at the Registry Hall on Ellis Island. 1905.Lewis W. Hine/Stringer/Getty Images 29 of 45Two children stand near a luggage area. Circa 1915-1920.Bain News Service/Library of Congress 30 of 45An immigrant woman sleeps with her baggage on a bench. 1904.Lewis Hine/New York Public Library 31 of 45Immigrants gather near luggage. Circa 1917.Bain News Service/Library of Congress 32 of 45"Cossack man from the steppes of Russia." Circa 1905-1914.Augustus F. Sherman/New York Public Library 33 of 45Immigrants eat inside Ellis Island’s dining hall, where they were provided with a free meal. Circa 1902-1913.Edwin Levick/New York Public Library 34 of 45Female immigrants stand in line for processing. Date unspecified.Bain News Service/Library of Congress 35 of 45"Two emigrants on the seashore." Circa 1912.Underwood & Underwood/Library of Congress 36 of 45Immigrants await processing inside the Main Building. Circa 1907-1917.Bain News Service/Library of Congress 37 of 45Three Dutch women. Circa 1905-1914.Augustus F. Sherman/New York Public Library 38 of 45Immigrants undergo medical examination. Circa 1902-1913.Edwin Levick/New York Public Library 39 of 45Immigrants stand outside one of Ellis Island’s buildings. Date unspecified.Department of the Treasury/Public Health Service/National Archives and Records Administration 40 of 45Immigrants wait on the dock. 1912.Underwood & Underwood/Library of Congress 41 of 45Immigrants gather on the Ellis Island grounds. Date unspecified.Bain News Service/Library of Congress 42 of 45A large group of immigrants sits outdoors on Ellis Island. Date unspecified.Bain News Service/Library of Congress 43 of 45Children and adults pose inside one of Ellis Island’s buildings. Date unspecified.Department of the Treasury/Public Health Service/National Archives and Records Administration 44 of 45Immigrants arrive at the Main Building. 1907.Library of Congress 45 of 45Like this gallery?Share it:
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1 of 45An immigrant family on Ellis Island looks out across New York Harbor at the Statue of Liberty. Circa 1930s.FPG/Getty Images
2 of 45An Italian immigrant woman and her three children on their way to join the family patriarch in Scranton, Pennsylvania. 1908.Lewis W. Hine/Museum of the City of New York/Getty Images
3 of 45A young Russian Jewish immigrant. 1905.Lewis W. Hine/Stringer/Getty Images
4 of 45The Great Hall (Registry Room) at Ellis Island. The immigrants waiting here have passed the first mental inspection. Circa 1902-1913.Edwin Levick/New York Public Library
5 of 45A family that has been detained looks out the window. 1950.Bettmann/Contributor/Gety Images
6 of 45A group of immigrants traveling aboard a ship celebrate as they catch their first glimpse of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island in New York Harbor. 1915.Edwin Levick/Getty Images
7 of 45An immigrant woman from the eastern European region of Ruthenia. Circa 1906.Augustus F. Sherman/New York Public Library
8 of 45An Italian mother sits with her child as other immigrants look on in the background. 1905.Lewis W. Hine/Wikimedia Commons
9 of 45An immigrant family looks out over the water from Ellis Island. Circa 1912.Library of Congress
10 of 45Three Slavic women and a baby after arriving at Ellis Island. 1905.Lewis W. Hine/Wikimedia Commons
11 of 45Immigrants eat in the dining room for detainees. Circa 1900.Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images
12 of 45An Italian immigrant woman. Circa 1905-1914.Augstus F. Sherman/Library of Congress
13 of 45A group of would-be immigrants waves goodbye to the Statue of Liberty from aboard a Coast Guard ship after being turned away at Ellis Island and deported. 1952.Al Ravenna/New York World-Telegram and The Sun/Library of Congress
14 of 45Give young women sit on the dock. Circa 1910.George Grantham Bain/Library of Congress
15 of 45Inside the immigration processing facilities. Circa 1880.Fotosearch/Stringer/Getty Images
16 of 45An immigrant family that has been granted entry looks across the water toward New York as they wait for the ferry to take them there. 1925.Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images
17 of 45A German stowaway. 1911.Augustus F. Sherman/New York Public Library
18 of 45A large crowd of immigrants stands outside just after their arrival at Ellis Island. 1902.ullstein bild/ullstein bild via Getty Images
19 of 45Would-be immigrants stand in the detention pen on the roof of Ellis Island’s Main Building, where they’ll await deportation. Circa 1902.Library of Congress
20 of 45A young immigrant boy carries some of his baggage. Circa 1880.Fotosearch/Stringer/Getty Images
21 of 45"A family of seven sons and one daughter." 1904.Lewis W. Hine/New York Public Library
22 of 45Immigrant children sit side by side on a window ledge at the overcrowded immigration station at Ellis Island. 1920.Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images
23 of 45Immigrants line up at the money exchange counter. Circa 1902-1913.Edwin Levick/New York Public Library
24 of 45Immigrants stand near the dock at Ellis Island as the Statue of Liberty looms in the background. Circa 1900.Albert Harlingue/Roger Viollet/Getty Images
25 of 45The Main Building. Circa 1905.Library of Congress
26 of 45Guadeloupean woman. 1911.Augustus F. Sherman/New York Public Library
27 of 45A city health officer examines immigrant children amid a typhus scare. 1911.Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images
28 of 45A customs official attaches labels to the coats of a German immigrant family at the Registry Hall on Ellis Island. 1905.Lewis W. Hine/Stringer/Getty Images
29 of 45Two children stand near a luggage area. Circa 1915-1920.Bain News Service/Library of Congress
30 of 45An immigrant woman sleeps with her baggage on a bench. 1904.Lewis Hine/New York Public Library
31 of 45Immigrants gather near luggage. Circa 1917.Bain News Service/Library of Congress
32 of 45"Cossack man from the steppes of Russia." Circa 1905-1914.Augustus F. Sherman/New York Public Library
33 of 45Immigrants eat inside Ellis Island’s dining hall, where they were provided with a free meal. Circa 1902-1913.Edwin Levick/New York Public Library
34 of 45Female immigrants stand in line for processing. Date unspecified.Bain News Service/Library of Congress
35 of 45"Two emigrants on the seashore." Circa 1912.Underwood & Underwood/Library of Congress
36 of 45Immigrants await processing inside the Main Building. Circa 1907-1917.Bain News Service/Library of Congress
37 of 45Three Dutch women. Circa 1905-1914.Augustus F. Sherman/New York Public Library
38 of 45Immigrants undergo medical examination. Circa 1902-1913.Edwin Levick/New York Public Library
39 of 45Immigrants stand outside one of Ellis Island’s buildings. Date unspecified.Department of the Treasury/Public Health Service/National Archives and Records Administration
40 of 45Immigrants wait on the dock. 1912.Underwood & Underwood/Library of Congress
41 of 45Immigrants gather on the Ellis Island grounds. Date unspecified.Bain News Service/Library of Congress
42 of 45A large group of immigrants sits outdoors on Ellis Island. Date unspecified.Bain News Service/Library of Congress
43 of 45Children and adults pose inside one of Ellis Island’s buildings. Date unspecified.Department of the Treasury/Public Health Service/National Archives and Records Administration
44 of 45Immigrants arrive at the Main Building. 1907.Library of Congress
45 of 45Like this gallery?Share it:
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44 Poignant Photos Of Ellis Island Immigrants That Convey The Hope And Hardship Of Coming To America View Gallery
44 Poignant Photos Of Ellis Island Immigrants That Convey The Hope And Hardship Of Coming To America View Gallery
44 Poignant Photos Of Ellis Island Immigrants That Convey The Hope And Hardship Of Coming To America View Gallery
44 Poignant Photos Of Ellis Island Immigrants That Convey The Hope And Hardship Of Coming To America View Gallery
44 Poignant Photos Of Ellis Island Immigrants That Convey The Hope And Hardship Of Coming To America
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For each individual, it was an arduous journey the likes of which hardly even exists today. For the entire 12 million Ellis Island immigrants that became Americans in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a whole, it was the largest overseas migration in human history.
Yet, as grueling and immense as this unprecedented wave of immigration was, the processing at Ellis Island was largely anything but. On the contrary, for the 98 percent of immigrants that made it in, the experience of passing through the Ellis Island gateway was surprisingly painless and quick.
In the vast majority of cases, you’d be in and out in three-to-five hours, during which time you’d answer a series of basic legal questions about you and your past, prove that you had just enough money (approximately 20 dollars, or about 500 dollars today) to set yourself up, and undergo a “six-second physical” in which a doctor would simply glance at you and make sure that you had no obvious, chronic ailments.
Essentially, if you could convince officials that you were neither criminal, insane, nor gravely ill, your passage through Ellis Island was almost perfunctory.
But as mundane and anticlimactic as the act of passing through the proverbial gate may have been, the underlying significance of that passage was truly momentous. You entered Ellis Island as an Italian, Hungarian, or Guadeloupean and left it as an American, part of an immense tide that helped make that country the wealthiest and most powerful nation in the world and thus changed global history immeasurably to this day.
And it all centered on a small, largely manmade patch of land in Upper New York Bay. See what life was like for those who passed through that patch in the photo gallery of Ellis Island immigrants above.
Next, take a look at portraits of immigrants just after they arrived on Ellis Island that capture the spirit of American diversity. Then, see what life was like after Ellis Island in this photographic tour of turn-of-the-century New York immigrant slums.
