Lewis Hine’s Photos of Child Workers at the Alexandria Glass Company
In the 1910s, Lewis Hine photographed the young boys working at the Alexandria Glass Company, a striking Library of Congress record of child labor in Virginia.
Frank Clark, left, and Ashby Corbin, young workers at an Alexandria glass factory. Photo by Lewis Hine. Source: Library of Congress.
This is one of those amazing photographs that you can stare at for hours, just wondering who these two boys were.
We dug up an amazing series of photographs at the Library of Congress, showing the lives of young boys working at the Alexandria Glass Company in the 1910s.
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.
Some of the youngsters on day shift (next week on night shift) at Old Dominion Glass Co., Alexandria, Va. I counted 7 white boys and several colored boys that seemed to be under 14 years old. The youngest ones would not give names, but the following are a few: Frank Ellmore, 913 Gibbon St., apparently ten or eleven. Been there three months. Dannie Powell, 307 Columbus St. Henry O’Donnell, 1925[?] Duke St. Leslie Mason, 912 Wilke St. Location: Alexandria, Virginia.
Some of the youngsters on day shift (next week on night shift) at Old Dominion Glass Co., Alexandria, Va. I counted 7 white boys and several colored boys that seemed to be under 14 years old. The youngest ones would not give names, but the following are a few: Frank Ellmore, 913 Gibbon St., apparently ten or eleven. Been there three months. Dannie Powell, 307 Columbus St., Henry O’Donnell, 1923 Duke St. Leslie Mason, 912 Wilke St. Location: Alexandria, Virginia.
A few of the young boys working on the night shift at the Alexandria (Va.) Glass Factory. Location: Alexandria, Virginia.
A few of the young boys working on the night shift at the Alexandria (Va.) Glass Factory. Location: Alexandria, Virginia.
A few of the young boys working on the night shift at the Alexandria (Va.) Glass Factory. See also photos and labels 2260 to 2271. Location: Alexandria, Virginia.
These were taken by Lewis Hine and if you want a fascinating history on one of the boys, check out this page we dug up.
![Some of the youngsters on day shift (next week on night shift) at Old Dominion Glass Co., Alexandria, Va. I counted 7 white boys and several colored boys that seemed to be under 14 years old. The youngest ones would not give names, but the following are a few: Frank Ellmore, 913 Gibbon St., apparently ten or eleven. Been there three months. Dannie Powell, 307 Columbus St. Henry O'Donnell, 1925[?] Duke St. Leslie Mason, 912 Wilke St. See also photos and labels 2260 to 2271 and report. Location: Alexandria, Virginia.](https://ghostsofdc.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2013/06/01295u-1024x694.jpg)
