In the cotton mills

Her name was Addie Card, and in 1910, she worked long hours at the North Pownal Cotton Mill in Vermont.
Twelve years old.
Surrounded by whirring machines, flying cotton fibers, and the endless thunder of industry.
Addie was one of thousands of children in America’s factories at the time—small hands, quick reflexes, and even smaller wages. Her job required her to tend spinning frames, fix threads, and work fast, all while breathing in thick, dusty air. Every day was long, loud, and exhausting.
When her shift ended, her work didn’t. There were still chores to do at home, and her family depended on her wages to survive.
Photographer Lewis Hine captured Addie’s portrait in a moment of stillness—her face calm, but her eyes carrying the weight of labor far beyond her years. That photograph became one of the most iconic images in the fight against child labor in America.
Addie longed for a life beyond the mill. But like many children of her time, she was born into a world where survival meant sacrifice.
The industrial revolution built modern America—but for children like Addie, it took something too.
#ChildLaborHistory #AddieCard
~Old Photo Club