In honor of Labor Day, today's Photo of the Week is a group of hardworking "sandhogs" who were toiling underground to create the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel (now the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel) in 1947. This photo caught my eye because of the workers' exuberant joy, despite the abundant evidence of arduous work in their muddy boots and dirt-streaked clothing. When I searched Brooklyn Newsstand for "battery tunnel" and limited results to 1947, I did not find this photograph published in the paper, but I did find a lot of evidence of labor disputes during the tunnel's construction.
I also learned a new word - a "sandhog" is a skilled laborer who works on underground construction and mining projects. The term originated in New York City but later spread to other cities as well. Hard work, struggles over pay and conditions, and collective joy despite it all? That's the perfect combination for today's holiday. Happy Labor Day, Brooklyn.
Interested in seeing more photos from CBH’s collections? Visit our online image gallery, which includes a selection of our images, or the digital collections portal of Brooklyn Public Library. We welcome appointments to research our entire collection of images, archives, maps, and special collections. Our reference staff is available to help with your research! You can reach us at cbhreference@bklynlibrary.org.
This blog post reflects the opinions of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of Brooklyn Public Library.
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