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May 1910. Wilmington, Delaware. Richard Pierce, 723 Walnut Street. Fourteen years of age. Western Union Telegraph Messenger No. 2. Nine months in service. Works from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Smokes. Visits houses of prostitution. Investigator, Edward F. Brown. View full size. Photo and caption by Lewis Wickes Hine.
On the off chance anyone's interested, Richard's address is now a parking garage.
I'm assuming, of course, that the original address was NORTH Walnut; South Walnut didn't really have anything on it in 1910, I think; even now it's a field across from a car dealership.
I was about to say, Looks like a 47 year old child. Life was tough on the young ones. I was reared on a dairy and row crop farm, so I can relate to the hard work. Never been to a house of prostitution, though. I did, however, smoke at an early age; about 13.
Maybe that adds to his looking older than his years, but you don´t really think working 11 hours a day makes someone look young and fresh, or do you?
This is Joe Manning, of the Lewis Hine Project. Samuel Richard Pierce was born about 1896. He married a girl named Agnes. They had five children listed in the 1930 census, and Richard's occupation was given as a plumber. On his WWII draft registration, he is still married to Agnes, still living in Delaware, and still a plumber. He died in 1970.
His eyes look so sad. And those wrinkles--at 14. I too wonder how his life turned out. This photo speaks volumes.
Does that mean he visits, as in delivers messages there, or visits, as in "visits"?
[Delivers messages. - Dave]
14 going on 40. I wonder how his life turned out. I'm almost afraid to speculate. Poor kid.
It can't be the 11 hour days, it has to be the "smokes" and visits to the "houses of prostitution."
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