VISUAL ACTIVITYWorkers on the Brooklyn Bridge Illustrations show workers tunneling under the East River to lay the foundations for the Brooklyn Bridge. A cylindrical airlock took them down more than seventy feet. “What with the flaming lights, the deep shadows, the confusing noise of hammer, drills, and chains, the half-naked forms flitting about,” wrote one reporter, the scene resembled hell.READING THE IMAGE: What would you guess about the age and the physical condition of the workers pictured?CONNECTIONS: Who did the work of building America’s new industrial infrastructure? How were they rewarded?

Library of Congress, 3c24944.