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~Vintage Ellis Island Immigrants Historical Photo Print (Framed, c. 1909)
~Add a profound piece of American history to your home, office, classroom, or gallery. This beautifully framed archival-style photograph captures newly admitted immigrants walking across the pier at Ellis Island (circa 1909–1910). The powerful image features striking details of early 20th-century families wearing traditional attire, distinctive period hats, and their original manifest identification tags pinned to their clothing as they walk toward the New York ferryboats to begin their new lives in America.
~This specific photograph is a celebrated historical record officially archived in the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division (Reproduction No. LC-USZ62-95433).
~The sign in the background reads: "ENTRANCE FOR ALL PERSONS CALLING FOR IMMIGRANTS. RED AND GREEN CARDS."
This archway led directly to the "Kissing Post", the affectionate historic nickname given to the area on the ground floor of the Ellis Island main building where arriving travelers were finally reunited with their awaiting friends and relatives.
The Purpose of Red and Green Cards
Because thousands of visitors arrived daily to meet relatives, the U.S. Immigration Service used a colored ticket or card system to control the massive crowds and ensure security:
• Crowd Flow Separation: Awaiting friends and family members were issued specific colored passes to enter different waiting sections of the pier and main building. This kept those waiting to pick up immigrants separate from the general traffic of workers and new arrivals.
• Destination Tracking: The colors often coordinated with the destination status of the immigrant. Relatives with "Green Cards" or passes typically waited in areas for immigrants who were cleared to stay locally in New York City or northern New Jersey, while other color variants corresponded to areas for passengers transferring directly to out-of-state commercial railroad lines.
~Framed: 12.5” x 15.5”
~Very good condition. No damage.
