Crikey - the “thousand yard stare” at that young age. Life must have been tough for these girls.

Sad thing is that some politicians opposed child labour laws. Claimed it was going to ruin the economy.

Children should never be treated such that they develop the thousand yard stare of despair and hopelessness.

Their hands. They look like they have some very nasty injuries from the knives. Health & Safety would have something to say about this nowadays.

Aw they look miserable. Poor babies😢

These poor babies !!

already dead inside. What a shame.

The last time I saw a look that intense on someone so young was in a photograph of small boys who were made to work in a coal mine at around the same time period. :(

What a horrible life for them. Oyster shucking is a terrible job. Look at their damaged hands.

This hurts.

Their haunting eyes and disfigured hands... terrible.

Look at their ragged and mangled hands - that is an unspeakable tragedy.

Child labour in 1909 in the land of the free?

They look tired and terrified.

Lul what crap comments. If anyone actually cared they'd speak out for the children that are in the exact same situation today

Poor little girls. They already look so hardened at such a tender age.

They are already hard as granite.

I am glad we have child labor laws now. No child should have to work to survive at that age, and no child should have sore, chapped hands that bleed from working. No child should be in a situation that puts that look on their face. Ever.

they look very lost and sad. i pray that they ended up living a life they wanted....

These are "the good old days" Republicans are always trying to bring back. Any takers?

Look how beat up their poor hands were. These babies knew pain.

one of the many reasons for child labor laws

Wtf 😞

Makes me angry just to think of what some children had to go through!

Looks grim

Imagine the smell...

Their little chapped hands epitomize the weary neglect of their childhood.

Look at those red hands and arms. Shucking oysters is dangerous.Poor kids!

Look at the girl on the left… her hands. And those 1000 yard stares. Or as one child protective worker I knew of called “the zombie stare”.