Steerage (Immigrant Journeys) Illustrations Library

The Steerage Illustrations Library showcases a collection of images depicting the conditions and experiences of immigrants traveling in steerage from 1849 to 1898. These illustrations provide a visual history of the harsh realities faced by many immigrants during their journeys to new lands.

Books, brochures, articles, and other ephemera provided many illustrations of the conditions and experiences of immigrants traveling in steerage from 1849 through 1898. Students and Family Historians are welcome to use these illustrations in your reports and family histories.

Aménagement Intérieur d'un Bâtiment américain frêté pour la Californie. Interior View of the Steerage Compartment and Passengers Destined for California. L'Illustration, Journal Universel, Vol. XII, No. 311, 10 February 1849. GGA Image ID # 14bef3f97c

Scene Between Decks -- Passengers Endure Steerage Accommodations to Cross the Atlantic. Supplement to The Illustrated London News, 6 July 1850. GGA Image ID # 14bf5f254c

Steerage Passengers Dancing Between Decks. The Illustrated London News, 6 July 1850. GGA Image ID # 14b6b9ef2f

Steerage Passengers Summoned to the Quarter-Deck of the Emigrant Ship for Roll Call. The Illustrated London News, 6 July 1850. GGA Image ID # 14b6f47c6f

Emigrants Crowded Onto the Steerage Deck on an Emigrant Ship. The Illustrated London News, 17 August 1850. GGA Image ID # 14b736055c

Life in Steerage Between Decks on an Emigrant Ship. The Illustrated London News, 17 August 1850. GGA Image ID # 14b721f545

Horrors of the Emigrant Ship -- Scene in the Hold of the "James Foster, Jr." - 1869. Harper's Weekly, 27 March 1869. GGA Image ID # 145fe7f646

Steerage Passengers Making the Best of Things in Their Rows of Bunk Beds. Graphics Magazines, 12 March 1870. GGA Image ID # 14b9bd0dbb

Dinner is Served in the Steerage. Scribner's Magazine, September 1877. GGA Image ID # 147746a1c0

Inspection of Steerage Passengers at Quarantine (on the ship) by the New York Health Officer. Scribner's Magazine, September 1877. GGA Image ID # 1478747997

Young Immigrant in Steerage Sitting on Some Luggage -- All There. Scribner's Magazine, September 1877. GGA Image ID # 14774ba931

Steerage Passengers Debarking at Castle Garden. Scribner's Magazine, September 1977. GGA Image ID # 14775908cf

Immigrants From Steerage Landing at Castle Garden ca. 1880. Illustration by A. B. Shults. Library of Congress # 90707732. GGA Image ID # 145c4f2e5b

Steerage Passengers Terrified by Rough Weather circa 1880. GGA Image ID # 14787c02bb

Health Officials Vaccinating Russian and Polish Immigrants Onboard the Steamship "Victoria" at Quarantine. Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, 14 May 1881. GGA Image ID # 14806f2ebf

Immigrants on Deck of Emigrant Ship as Breakfast Bell Sounds. The Graphic, 1884. Library of Congress # 2005680795. GGA Image ID # 145de9d3df

Scene on the Steerage Deck of an Ocean Steamship as it Passes the Statue of Liberty. Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, 2 July 1887. GGA Image ID # 145df018de

The Steerage Passengers of a European Steamer Being Examined by the Health Officers. Drawing by A. Berghaus. Harper's Weekly, 8 October 1887. GGA Image ID # 14bfa71147

Dinner is Being Served to Steerage Passengers on a French Line Steamship circa 1890. Note the Racks of Bunk Beds in the Background where the Steerage Passengers Slept. Harper's Weekly Supplement, 22 November 1890. GGA Image ID # 145c2d6def

The Emigration of the Russian Jews - The Doctor Examining Steerage Passengers Before Their Departure from Liverpool a Scene on Board the Guion Liner SS Wisconsin, in the Mersey. Xylography by Charles Joseph Staniland, 1891. GGA Image ID # 1d96cd6c20

Scene In The Steerage, Ocean Passenger Travel. Scribner's Magazine, April 1891. GGA Image ID # 146b49fc8d

Immigrants Passing by the Ships Physician during Onboard Inspection. Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly, June 1892. GGA Image ID # 145c6d2ade

Steamship Company Physicians Vaccinating Immigrants Likely Traveling in Steerage. Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly, June 1892. GGA Image ID # 145cc48287

Immigrants at the Landing Stage, Liverpool. The Century Magazine, February 1898. GGA Image ID # 1458dfdf94

The Stairway to Steerage - Between Decks. The Century Magazine, February 1898. GGA Image ID # 1458e70392

The Tender Filled with Immigrants is Nearing the Vessel. The Century Magazine, February 1898. GGA Image ID # 1459193d41

Immigrants On the Steerage Deck. The Century Magazine, February 1898. GGA Image ID # 14595ada32

Charcoal Drawing of Immigrants in Steerage on the RMS Umbria of the Cunard Line - 1898. Library of Congress # 2010715345. GGA Image ID # 141425cc11

The Bawling Steward of the Steerage. The Century Magazine, February 1898. GGA Image ID # 1459848781

Life in Steerage During Heavy Weather. The Century Magazine, February 1898. GGA Image ID # 145a264916

Steerage Passengers On Deck During Smooth Weather. The Century Magazine, February 1898. GGA Image ID # 145a5034b8

Steerage Passengers Get a Glimpse into Paradise. The Century Magazine, February 1898. GGA Image ID # 145a6af2ad

Immigrants from Steerage in the Registry Department at Ellis Island. The Century Magazine, February 1898. GGA Image ID # 145a8f38eb

An Italian Type Immigrant from the Steerage. The Century Magazine, February 1898. GGA Image ID # 145bb1d8d9

Some Immigrants End Up at the Board of Special Inquiry at Ellis Island. The Century Magazine, February 1898. GGA Image ID # 145bc2be2b

Immigrants Await Deportation in the Deported Pen at Ellis Island. The Century Magazine, February 1898. GGA Image ID # 145bf6f693

The Arrival of New Immigrants at the Battery Park Immigration Office. The Century Magazine, February 1898. GGA Image ID # 145c04b1d9

Conclusion

The illustrations offer a poignant visual record of the immigrant experience in steerage, highlighting the often overcrowded and unsanitary conditions. They serve as an important historical resource, emphasizing the need for remembering and understanding the struggles faced by these travelers.

Key Points

🖼️ Visual Records: Illustrations from 1849-1898 showing steerage conditions.

📜 Historical Context: Depicts various eras and conditions over time.

🚢 Steerage Conditions: Overcrowded, unsanitary environments.

🎨 Artistic Depictions: Includes works from notable publications and artists.

👥 Passenger Experiences: Visual accounts of the diverse immigrant populations.

💧 Sanitation and Health: Highlights the lack of proper hygiene facilities.

📚 Educational Resource: Valuable for students and historians.

🌊 Travel Hardships: Illustrates the challenges faced during voyages.

🛑 Immigrant Inspections: Visuals of health inspections and regulations.

🏛️ Cultural Impact: Reflects societal attitudes toward immigrants.

Summary

1. Collection Overview: The library contains illustrations of steerage conditions, providing a historical visual record from 1849-1898.

2. Conditions Depicted: Highlights the often harsh and overcrowded conditions faced by steerage passengers.

3. Diverse Sources: Includes illustrations from various magazines and artists, showing different aspects of the journey.

4. Immigrant Experiences: The images reflect the experiences of a diverse range of immigrants.

5. Sanitation Issues: Depicts the lack of proper sanitation facilities on ships.

6. Health and Safety: Shows the health inspections and challenges related to maintaining passenger health.

7. Cultural Significance: The illustrations serve as a reminder of the historical context and societal attitudes of the time.

8. Educational Value: The collection is a valuable resource for understanding immigrant history.

9. Visual Storytelling: Uses art to tell the story of immigration and the steerage experience.

10. Preservation of History: Ensures that the experiences of these immigrants are remembered and studied.

Bibliography

"The Immigrant's Progress," in Scribner's Monthly: Illustrated Magazine for the People, New York: Press of Francis Hart & Co., Vol. XIV, No. 5, September 1877, p. 577-588.

"Dinner in the Steerage of a Transatlantic Steamer," in Harper's Weekly Supplement, New York: Harper & Brothers, Vol. XXXIV, No. 1770, 22 November 1890, p. 920+.

Frank Linstow White, "Barriers Against Invisible Foes," in Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly, Vol. XXXIII, No. 6, June 1892, p. 662-672.

Whitmarsh, H. Phelps, and A. Castaigne, Illustrator, "The Steerage of Today - A Personal Experience," in The Century Magazine, Volume LV, Number 4, February 1898, p. 528-543.