Payday Collection

Panama Canal workers under the English - English paying native workers constructing the Panama Canal, 1880s
NWI4760119 Panama Canal workers under the English - English paying native workers constructing the Panama Canal, 1880s.; (add.info)

Nebraska farmer come to pick peas, near Calipatria, California, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Nebraska farmer come to pick peas. Near Calipatria, California

Nebraska farmer come to pick peas, near Calipatria, California, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Nebraska farmer come to pick peas. Near Calipatria, California

Nebraska farmer come to pick peas, near Calipatria, California, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Nebraska farmer come to pick peas. Near Calipatria, California

Heads of families on the Mineral King cooperative farm, Tulare County, California, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Heads of families on the Mineral King cooperative farm. Ten families are now established on this 500 acre ranch to be operated as a unit. (Farm Security Administration) Tulare County, California

Nebraska farmer come to pick peas, Near Calipatria, California, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Nebraska farmer come to pick peas. Near Calipatria, California

Farmer from Nebraska in emergency camp for migratory work... Calipatria, Imperial County, CA, 1939
Farmer from Nebraska in emergency camp for migratory workers during pea harvesting says " I put mine in what I thought was the best investment -- the good old earth--but we lost on that, too

Worker Counting His Money on Payday, c. 1920 (engraving)
2622354 Worker Counting His Money on Payday, c.1920 (engraving) by American School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Vintage illustration of a blue collar worker counting his money)

General Electric strike, Schenectady, New York, USA
General Electric strike on pay day, 8 October 1913, in Schenectady, New York State, USA. 1913

FOOD STAND, 1939. A migrant hop picker and her two children at the window of a food stand after payday in Josephine County, near Grants Pass, Oregon. Photograph by Dorothea Lange, August 1939

MIGRANT WORKER, 1939. A paymaster on the edge of the pea fields pays a quarter for every hamper of thirty pounds brought to the scale by migrant workers, Imperial Valley, Calipatria, California

A line of construction workers on payday at the Shasta Dam, Shasta County, California
CONSTRUCTION WORKERS, 1940. A line of construction workers on payday at the Shasta Dam, Shasta County, California. Photograph by Russell Lee, December 1940

MIGRANT WORKERS, 1939. Line of vegetable workers waiting after work to be paid, near Homestead, Florida. Photograph, 1939 by Marion Post Wolcott

MIGRANT WORKERS, 1935. Vegetable workers waiting after work to be paid, near Homestead, Florida. Photograph, 1935 by Marion Post Wolcott

PENNSYLVANIA: COAL MINERS. Down among the coal mines - The miners pay-day in Pennsylvania. Engraving after a drawing by Paul Frenzeny, 1873

STEEL WORKERS, c1907. Steel workers in line to be paid, at the Steel Works at Homestead, Pennsylvania. Stereograph, c1907

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"Capturing the Essence of Payday: A Glimpse into the Lives of Hardworking Americans" In 1939, amidst the Great Depression, a farmer from Nebraska found himself in an emergency camp for migratory work in Calipatria, Imperial County, CA. Dorothea Lange's poignant photograph immortalizes this moment as payday approaches, highlighting the struggles faced by those seeking employment far away from home. Fast forward to c. 1920 and we witness a worker counting his hard-earned money on payday through an engraving. This image serves as a testament to the pride and satisfaction that comes with receiving one's wages after days of laborious efforts. Meanwhile, across the country in Schenectady, New York during a General Electric strike, payday takes on a different meaning. Workers stand united against injustice and fight for fair compensation for their dedication and skills. The year is 1939 again; this time at a food stand where we see a migrant hop picker accompanied by her two children eagerly awaiting their turn at the window. Their tired faces reflect both exhaustion from work and anticipation of being paid – perhaps providing some relief or even sustenance for their journey ahead. Moving further west to Shasta Dam in California in December 1940, construction workers form a line on payday. Russell Lee's photograph captures their camaraderie as they receive their well-deserved wages – rewards for building infrastructure that would shape communities for generations to come. Returning once more to 1939 but this time near Homestead, Florida - another line forms; vegetable workers waiting patiently after work to be paid. These migrant workers endure long hours under harsh conditions but remain resilient knowing that payday brings hope and stability amidst uncertainty. Traveling back even further to Lorraine during medieval times depicted in folios 24v and 25r - silver miners are shown paying companions on pay-day. The tradition continues throughout history as workers receive their dues, ensuring a fair exchange for their labor and skills.