Brooklyn College Farm Labor Project

Two Female Students Signing Up For Farm Work

Ethel Iskowitz, Ethel Steinberg sign up for farm work (Helen Goldberg at desk) as President of Brooklyn College, Harry D. Gideonse, and Professor Ralph Benedict look on. May 18, 1944.

Students and Gideonse looking at beans

Students with President Gideonse examining beans. 1944?

Two Women Drinking Water

Georgina Pritchard (right) and Helen Epstein drinking water. 1944?

Group of Students Sitting on a Lawn

Group of students sitting on a lawn. 1944?

Students Riding in a Truck

Group of students riding in a truck; transportation. 1944?

Farm Project Morrisville 1944 Orientation

Group of students and a teacher in a classroom. 1944.

Harvesting Crops

Group of students harvesting crops. 1944.

Female Students Lined Up After Arriving

Arrival of female students, lining up for room assignments and luggage distribution. 1944.

Student on a Tractor

Student on tractor in the field. 1944?

Female Students Getting on a Bus

Female students getting on a bus. 1944.

Students plowing a field

Five students using equipment in the fields. 1944?

Students and Farmers

Female students talking to farmers while Professor Benedict looks on. 1944?

Picking and Packing Peas

Two workers picking and packing peas/beans. 1944?

Students Cooking on an Outdoor Fire

Group of students cooking on an outside fire. 1944?

Students Posing for Picture Outside

Group of students posing for a picture outside. 1944?

Female Students Learning About Tractors

Female students learning about horse power, on four legs, and on four wheels, with Farm Superintendent Robinson. 1944?

Student in the Field

Female student picking crops in the field. 1944?

Harry Gideonse Looks on as Students Farm

Students on farm with Harry D. Gideonse. 1944.

Woman Climbing Ladder

Sightseeing: Lady Climbing Fence. Morrisville. 1944.

Students Standing in Front of Cemetery

Sightseeing: Four students standing in front of a cemetery. Morrisville. 1944.

Female Students in a Cemetery

Sightseeing: Six female students in a cemetery. Morrisville. 1944.

Two Students Encircling a Tree

Sightseeing: Two students encircling a tree. Morrisville. 1944.

Students Getting Sap from Trees

Two students extracting sap from trees. Morrisville. 1944.

Students at a Pond

Sightseeing: Students at the Grist Mill Pond, Morrisville, headwater of the Chenango River. 1944.

Workers on Farm with Harry D. Gideonse

Harry D. Gideonse with farmers. Morrisville. 1944.

Unidentified Woman

Unidentified Woman. Morrisville. 1944?

Unidentified Elderly Couple

Unidentified elderly coupld sitting in chairs. Morrisville. 1944?

Students in Front of Waterfall

Five students standing on rocks in front of Chittenango Falls. Morrisville. 1944?

Men Standing in Front of Truck

Two men standing in front of a truck. Morrisville. 1944?

Students in a Truck

Transportation: Students in the back of a truck. Morrisville. 1944.

Group of Students Being Transported in a Truck

Group of students being transported in the back of a truck. Morrisville. 1944.

Students at Train Station

Students at a train station. 1944.

Students Talking With Farmer

Students talking with a farmer. 1944?

Students Resting

Harry D. Gideonse stands while students rest on the ground. 1944?

Two Unidentified Males

Two unidentified males. Morrisville. 1944?

Students With Horse

Animal scenes: Three students petting a horse. 1944.

Students Holding Live Chickens

Animal scenes: Students posing holding live chickens. Morrisville. 1944

Students Holding Plucked Chickens

Animal scenes: Students posing holding plucked chickens. Morrisville. 1944.

Picking Peas

Group of students picking peas. 1944.

Dressed Up Students Posing for Picture

Group of dressed up students posing for a picture outside. 1944.

Students and Gideonse in the Fields

Students with Harry Gidesonse in the fields. 1944.

Washing Laundry

Students washing laundry. 1944.

Working in the Fields

Students working in the fields. 1944.

Young Boy in the Fields

Young boy in the fields. Morrisville.1944.

Students Posing With Tractor

Equipment: Students posing with tractor. Morrisville. 1944.

Pea Picker

Sylvia Burnett picking peas. Morrisville. 1944.

Student Holding Bunnies

Animal Scenes: Female student holding to bunnies. Morrisville. 1944.

Students with Farm Equipment

Equipment: Students examining a piece of farm equipment. Morrisville. 1944.

Farm Equipment

Equipment: Farm equipment in the field. Morrisville. 1944.

Group of Students Using Binoculars

Students on a field trip using binoculars. Morrisville. 1944.

Operating Equipment

Equipment: Students operating farm equipment. Morrisville. 1944.

Learning to Use Farm Equipment

Equipment: Students learning to use farm equipment. Morrisville. 1944.

Learning to Use Farm Equipment 2

Equipment: Students learning to use farm equipment. Morrisville. 1944.

Students Using Tractor

Equipment: Student using a tractor. Morrisville. 1944.

Students Examining Cages

Students examining cages. Morrisville. 1944.

Students Driving Tractor

Equipment: Students operating tractor. Morrisville. 1944.

Recreation

Students relaxing near a pond. Morrisville. 1944.

Prof. Benedict, Students and Chickens

Animal Scenes: Professor Benedict and two students handling roosters. Morrisville. 1944.

Bagging Crops

Workers bagging crops. Morrisville. 1944.

First Day in the Pea Fields

First day for students in the pea fields. Morrisville. 1944.

Students and Chickens

Animal scenes: Students holding chickens. Morrisville. 1944.

Workers Sewing a Burlap Bag

Two workers sewing a burlap bag in the field. Morrisville. 1944.

Students with Suitcases

Two female students leaving or arriving. Morrisville. 1944.

Male Student Picking Crops

Male student with pipe picking beans. Morrisville. 1944.

Viewing the Cows

Animal scenes: People looking at cows in a field. Morrisville. 1944.

Resting in the Fields

Workers resting in the fields next to packed crops. Morrisville. 1944.

Instruction on Picking Peas/Beans

Student receiving instructions on picking peas/beans. Morrisville. 1944.

Dormitory

Students outside dormitory. Morrisville. 1944.

Dormitory 2

Gertrude Greco and Mary Guiliand in front of Madison Hall. Morrisville. 1944.

Students in Front of Building

Students standing on lawn in front of building. Morrisville. 1944.

Viewing the Cows 2

Animal scenes: Female students looking at cows. Morrisville. 1944.

Group Photos

Group of students sitting outside on the steps of a building. Morrisville. 1944.

Group Photos 2

Group of female students with a dog posing outside of a house. Morrisville. 1944.

Female Students in a Cemetery 2

Sightseeing: Students filming in a cemetery. Morrisville. 1944.

Group Photos 3

Four women standing on lawn. Morrisville. 1944.

Sitting on a Bench

Two women sitting on a bench under a tree. Morrisville. 1944.

Boxing 1

Recreation: Two students learning to box. Morrisville. 1944.

Recreation: Ceremony 1

Recreation: Ceremony held in a park. Morrisville. 1944.

Recreation: Ceremony 2

Recreation: Ceremony held in a park. Morrisville. 1944.

Boxing 3

Recreation: Students learning to box. Morrisville. 1944.

Cooking on a Camp Fire

Recreation: Students cooking on a camp fire. Morrisville. 1944.

Students Eating

Recreation: Students eating chicken and corn on the cob. Morrisville. 1944.

Students Eating 2

Recreation: Students eating. Morrisville. 1944.

Local Scenery

Local Scenery. Morrisville. 1944.

Local Scenery 2

Local Building. Morrisville. 1944.

Group Photos 4

Group photo of students sitting on steps outside a building. Morrisville. 1944.

Packing/Carrying Beans

Packing and carrying beans. Morrisville. 1944.

Bagging Beans

Four workers bagging beans. Morrisville. 1944.

Bagging Beans 2

Three workers bagging beans. Morrisville. 1944.

Beans Picking and Packing

Photograph of students picking and packing beans; 1943?

Harry Gideonse Looks Upon Students Working

Harry D. Gideonse watches as students pick and pack crops. 1943.

Four Top Pickers

Four top pickers holding barrels of beans. Morrisvile. 1943.

Field Scenes

Students sitting in a field. Morrisville. 1943.

Field Scenes 2

Students working in a field. Morrisville. 1943.

Students examining the soil

Students examining the soil. Morrisville. 1943.

Field Scenes 3

Students lounging in a field. Morrisville. 1943.

Field Scenes 4

Students walking up from the fields. Morrisville. 1943.

Field Scenes 5

View of many students working in the fields. Morrisville. 1943.

Field Scenes 6

View of the fields. Morrisville. 1943.

Student Picking Beans

Student picking beans. Morrisville. 1943.

Worker Packing Beans

Worker packing beans. Morrisville. 1943.

Young Child Picking Beans

Young girl picking beans. Morrisville. 1943.

Basket of Beans

Basket of picked beans. Morrisville. 1943.

Packing Beans

Student packing beans. Morrisville. 1943.

Children Picking and Packing

Young children picking and packing beans. Morrisville. 1943.

Snow-covered Fields

Landscape photo of fields covered in snow. Morrisville. 1943.

Learning to Pasteurize Milk

Students learning to pasteurize and bottle milk. Morrisville. 1943.

Bottling Milk

Students learning to pasteurize and bottle milk. Morrisville. 1943.

Farm Labor

Picking and packing in the fields. Morrisville. 1943.

Student Picking and Packing Beans

Female student picking and packing beans. Morrisville. 1943.

Student Picking and Packing Beans 2

Up close photo of female student's hands picking and packing beans. Morrisville. 1943.

Learning to Pasteurize and Bottle Milk

Students learning to pasteurize and bottle milk. Morrisville. 1943.

Eating Lunch in the Field

Three students eating lunch in the field. Morrisville. 1943.

Students on Campus Leaving Brooklyn

Students preparing to leave Brooklyn campus. Dr. Benedict and H.D. Gideonse look on. 1942.

Students in Campus Rally Round

Students congregating on steps. 1942.

Dr. Benedict Showing Students Poison Ivy

Dr. Benedict showing a group of students poison ivy. Rose Wassertheil looks on at Dr. Benedict's left. 1942.

Dr. Benedict Advises

Dr. Benedict advises a student. 1942.

Dr. Benedict takes the lead

Dr. Benedict leading students on campus. 1942.

Students on Campus With Harry D. Gideonse

Students on campus with Harry D. Gideonse. 1942.

Students Get Orientation at Brooklyn

Students during orientation cleaning up outside. 1942.

Students Raking Debris on Campus

Students raking up debris on campus.

Students Posing with American Flag

Large group of students posing with an American Flag. 1942?

Students Working in Red Hook

Women working. Strawberry fields, Red Hook. 1942.

Cherry Picking

Cherry picking. Red Hook. 1942.

Packing Cherries

Packing cherries. Red Hook. 1942.

Hoeing a Strawberry Field

Students hoeing a strawberry field. Red Hook. 1942.

Dorms at Red Hook, N.Y.

Dorms at Red Hook, New York. 1942.

Dorms at Red Hook, N.Y. 2

Dorms at Red Hook, New York. 1942.

Picking Cherries

Picking cherries. Red Hook. 1942.

Picking Cherries 2

Picking and packing cherries. Red Hook. 1942.

Weeding a Lettuce Field

Students weeding a lettuce field. Red Hook. 1942.

Students Seeing Poison Ivy on Campus

Dr. Benedict, Rose Wassertheil and four other students seeing poison ivy on campus. 1942?

Planting Lettuce

Planting lettuce. Red Hook. 1942.

Planting Lettuce 2

Planting lettuce. Red Hook. 1942.

This collection contains digitized documents from the Brooklyn College’s Farm Labor Project. Students responded to the World War II farm labor shortage by volunteering to spend their summer as farm-workers. During the summers of 1942, '43, and '44, they worked on farms in Upstate New York picking peas and beans.

The images above are from the Brooklyn College Farm Labor Project Image Gallery