” Addie Card, anaemic little spinner in North Pownal Cotton Mill”
A while back, I wrote a post featuring the poem “The Factories” by Margaret Widdemer. The post was illustrated by two photographs of the thousands taken by Lewis Hine from 1908 to 1924 to raise awareness of the plight of children laboring in dangerous and unhealthy conditions in America’s factories to help their families put bread and milk on the table.1
Imagine my surprise and delight when last week my subscription to the Library of Congress’ blog yielded an article about genealogist Joe Manning’s successful research to find the descendants of little Addie pictured above–and it only took him two weeks!2 He went on to research and write about more than 300 of these children.3
I encourage you to check out the full article: Inquiring Minds: Opening a Treasure Chest of Unfinished Stories.
And while you’re on the Library of Congress site, why not take a meander through the blog, the latest collections, and the current research projects? Before you do, though, just be sure to tell your loved ones where you’re going so that you don’t end up like poor Charlie on the M.T.A. (one of my dad’s all-time favorite songs, sung with gusto at the kitchen table). This one’s for you, Dad: “M.T.A.”
Image: Hine, Lewis Wickes, photographer. Addie Card, anaemic little spinner in North Pownal Cotton Mill. See photo No. Location: Vermont. August. Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2018675329/>.
1Wendi Maloney, “Inquiring Minds: Opening a Treasure Chest of Unfinished Stories,” Library of Congress Blog, last modified January 31, 2019, accessed February 3, 2019, http://Hine, Lewis Wickes, photographer. Addie Card, anaemic little spinner in North Pownal Cotton Mill. See photo No. Location: Vermont. August. Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2018675329/>.
2Maloney, “Inquiring Minds,” Library of Congress Blog.
3Maloney, “Inquiring Minds,” Library of Congress Blog.
This Is Us 
It looks just like the spinner in the museum I saw a couple weeks ago. Thank you for sharing! An incredible story and photograph.
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I know! I think some of these children are becoming well-known and honored via the Internet, which is such a contrast to the way they were exploited when they were alive.
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Thanks for sharing! I’ve found some wonderful stories and photos on the Library of Congress blog! I’m so glad that they were able to locate the descendants of that child! I hope they appreciated the sacrifice that little Addie made!
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I’m sure Addie’s descendants appreciated her sacrifice once they learned of it.
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Thanks for the update. I loved the song!
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I’m glad you enjoyed the song, Jon! I listened to it several times, just for the fun of it.
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I saw that blog a while back and it has since slipped my mind. Will return to peek around. It is sad to realize the fate (injuries and death for some) of many of the children who worked in unsafe conditions. Your post is a very nice reminder to honor the girls who became the women who sacrificed for us all.
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Thank you for your comment, Karen. When I did some research into the subject, it was gratifying to find the work of social reformers who worked tirelessly to put an end to this exploitation of children.
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Wow! Thanks for sharing!
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You’re welcome, Zoe! Thank you for commenting.
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