987 Gateway to America

 

Several years ago, I attempted to research my enormous family's family trees.  It was a daunting task that found me at the dining room table at 6:00 pm still working in my pajamas for too many days.  I had to give up, but what I learned changed me.  

My family came to America beginning in the late 1800's from Lebanon (then Syria) to France where they boarded the ship to America.  On the Ellis Island website, I discovered a wealth of information via the ships' manifests.  So much about each passenger was recorded on those manifests--the immigrant's age, eye color,  amount of money in their pocket, occupation, education, destination, reason for coming to America, and who they would visit.  Some died on the ship, some were "in hospital," and some were sent back.

This is a painting of the Ellis Island Immigration Building (hospital) which was open to treat immigrant patients from 1902 until 1951 who were ill on arrival and could stay, and those who had diseases prohibited by immigration laws and were sent back to their originating country.  During that time, 275,000 patients were treated, 4,000 fatalities, and 350 new babies born.  The hospital consisted of a general hospital, and one treating contagious diseases.  There was a "Psychopathic Ward" and a maternity ward.  

If you are interested in immigration, I know you will learn so much from how immigration worked in those days.  Wikipedia has a lengthy history of the building and the hospital's practices.

My daughter visited Ellis Island and took this photo (painted with permission).  She was very impressed with an art installation by a French artist that placed large scale photos of real immigrants throughout the buildings on walls and windows.  Here is a web site you can go to to see photos of this exhibit, which my daughter said was haunting.  https://roadtrippers.com/magazine/ellis-island-hard-hat-tour/

This painting is 12" x 12" and a study for the possibility of a larger painting.  I would love to see less fussiness and more abstraction in a large painting.  Any takers?

https://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/987-gateway-to-america/823586