Catherwood LibraryILR School

Trying to tell the story of the many immigrant workers in its diverse membership, New York’s Service Employees International Union Local 1199 decided to follow the old adage “A picture is worth a thousand words,” and with 100 donated cameras started twelve-week basic photography course for its members. Given five rolls of film during each week of the course, over 1,500 day laborers, home care aides, building maintenance employees, garment workers and housekeepers across the country have participated in the growing project Unseen America---providing an insight into what it means to be a low-wageworker in America. From the pictures of chairs taken by a woman whose job requires her to stand most of the day, to those of housekeepers taking the train to work, and the picture of a city carriage horse accompanied by a powerful explanation of how it’s life resembles the picture-taker’s, the images are a stark reminder of the challenges and hardships these workers face.