Midnight 4, 11,08. Messenger Boys in heart of Tenderloin. Youngest - Badge No. 524. Herman Unslowitz, Said 15 yrs. old. Oldest Badge 605. From Wes[tern] Union Tel[egraph] Office, 172 Fifth Avenue. Location: New York, New York (State)
Summary
Picryl description: Public domain image of a uniform, military personnel, armed forces, free to use, no copyright restrictions.
Messenger boys were uniformed young men between 10 and 18 years of age who carried telegrams through urban streets. In most areas they used bicycles; in some dense areas they went on foot. Unlike the men in the telegraph office who worked indoors on fixed wages under close supervision, enjoyed union benefits, and managed the electrical transfer of information, telegraph boys worked outdoors under no supervision on piece wages, saw no union benefits, and managed the physical aspect of the industry in the form of handwritten or printed paper messages.
Tags
Date
01/01/1908
Contributors
Hine, Lewis Wickes, 1874-1940, photographer
Location
Source
Library of Congress
Copyright info
No known restrictions on publication.