Posted in Missouri March 22, 2016 by Stephanie Butler

Here’s What Life Looked Like For Missouri News Boys In 1910 – It’ll Amaze You

We recently discovered these photos from the U.S. National Archives featuring real life news boys from 1910 in St. Louis. Photographer Lewis Wilkes Hine visited St. Louis as part of a tour for the National Child Labor Committee in early May 1910. He spent several days with St. Louis’ “newsies” and captured them on their corners and at their branch offices. Although they put on airs and played tough, they were actually just little boys, many of them orphans, working hard for penny tips selling the city’s newspapers.

We’re aware that these uncertain times are limiting many aspects of life as we all practice social and physical distancing. While we’re continuing to feature destinations that make our state wonderful, we don’t expect or encourage you to go check them out immediately. We believe that supporting local attractions is important now more than ever and we hope our articles inspire your future adventures! And on that note, please nominate your favorite local business that could use some love right now: https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/nominate/

1. News boys standing in front Johnston's Branch and adjoining Saloon. St. Louis, May 1910.

2. Regular seller, Francis Lance, is 5 years old and 41 inches high. He is busy working in St. Louis, May 1910.

3. Tommy Hawkins, another 5-year-old who sells papers in St. Louis. He is 41 inches tall. May 1910.

5. A branch office in a coal shed. St. Louis, May 1910.

6. Burn's basement branch in a dark dirty cellar. St. Louis, May 1910.

7. 11:00 A.M., May 1910: Newsies at Skeeter's Branch in St. Louis. They were all smoking.

8. This is where the money goes to. Each branch office usually has a candy counter. St. Louis, May 1910.

9. Another shot of all of the boys smoking at 11:00 A.M. at Skeeter's Branch in St. Louis. May 1910.

10. Johnnie Burns and his Basement Branch. The photo also features his boy, whom he says is ungovernable. Burns says the 4-year-old twins will also be selling soon, May 1910.

11. A small newsie downtown on a Saturday afternoon in St. Louis, May 1910.

12. Little 5-year-old Francis Lance jumps on and off moving cars at risk of life. St. Louis, May 1910.

13. Eight-year-old Joe Smith, St. Louis, May 1910.

14. Truants selling the Saturday Evening Post at 10:30 A.M. in St. Louis, May 1910.

These photos were part of as many as 500 the photographer took documenting child labor in the U.S. at that time. Although the National Child Labor Committee was formed in 1904, it wasn’t until 1938 that President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Fair Labor Standards Act, which finally placed limits on many forms of child labor.