Among the works I got to look into—works in the vast collection which had not yet been attributed to a photographer nor given a publication date or outlet—were several photographs of farm workers on strike. I noticed that all had writing in the margins and hand-drawn crop lines, both characteristics typical for news prints.
On the back of one photograph was a newspaper clipping with the date of July 10, 1934, and a note indicating that it showed “sickening gas” that had been shot into the house to force strikers out. The name “Ranzini” was typed on the back, and also appeared on other photos, including the one below.
This photograph proved most helpful in tracking down additional information, as pasted to the back is the newspaper clipping that accompanied that image. Below the text is a copyright line reading, “NEWS photo by Ranzini; © 1934: by the News Syndicate Co., Inc.”
This confirmed that Ranzini was the photographer and also gave me both a publication and place from which to begin the rest of my research.
The News Syndicate Company Incorporated was an association that combined the resources of the New York Daily News and the Chicago Tribune; I searched for any connection between the name Ranzini and either paper. I eventually learned that Walter Ranzini had been the photo assignment editor at the New York Daily News. Further searching, which included his birth and death certificates, provided the information we needed: his full name—Walter Charles Ranzini—life dates (1903–1986), and nationality (American). This allowed us to fill in the artist line of what’s called the “tombstone” label, which is posted next to the photograph in the gallery and is a vital part of visitor experience and the museum’s record keeping.
Turning to the historical context of the photographs, the dates written on the verso of each photograph enabled me to locate the newspaper issues where the photographs had been published. I gained access to them through the resources of the museum’s library and archives. Note that in the bottom left of this page below (from the July 10 issue of the Daily News), we find the photograph of the house filled with the “vomiting gas” the police had fired into it to evacuate it.
Page from New York Daily News, July 10, 1934
These primary textual sources from the New York Daily News and other large and local papers charted an interesting and relevant history of workers’ rights in Seabrook Farms.
Charles F. Seabrook bought Seabrook Farms from his father in 1911 and was determined for rapid growth. However, as he implemented expansions, it became evident that they were premature, and the company filed for bankruptcy in 1924. The majority of workers employed at his farm and cannery were first- and second-generation Southern European immigrants and Black Americans, many of whom were laid off and rehired during and after bankruptcy.
CEO of Seabrook Farms, Charles F. Seabrook, candid photograph, 1950
Courtesy of Rutgers University Libraries.
By the summer of 1934 the company continued to struggle in the midst of the Great Depression. After wrestling with union disputes in the months prior, Seabrook boldly announced the cutting of company wages from 30 cents an hour for men and 25 for women to 18 cents an hour for everyone. Union organizers were attacked by hired hands on their way to a mediation meeting with Seabrook. Enraged at the unwillingness for mediation, workers began to strike, and violence quickly escalated on both sides. These turbulent strikes drew the attention of news photographers like Walter Charles Ranzini, who through the New York Daily News, captured strikers being gassed, arrested, and throwing rocks.
Another photograph in our collection, by aviation-photographer duo John L. Remmerts and Rudy Arnold, gives a different perspective of the events: an aerial view of the striking workers amid the housing complexes owned and operated by Seabrook.
The strike ultimately ended with an official settlement offer to restore wages and rehire as many workers as reasonably possible, as well as an agreement to form an arbitration committee to settle disputes moving forward. Former University of Columbia economics professor Donald Henderson became involved in the strike on the side of the workers, urging them not to take this settlement. Upon the advice of their legal counsel, the strikers accepted the settlement, despite Henderson’s concerns.
News outlets later reported that the terms of the settlement were not enforced and that Seabrook did not hire back many workers, discriminating by race and economic status. Moving forward, the company gravitated toward hiring workers in dire straits, as they had less will for rebellion and would more readily accept whatever conditions Seabrook imposed.
Though these photographs depict quick, volatile moments at Seabrook Farms, they also reflect the long and complex history of workers rights in the United States. Originally intended only as visual documentation for newspaper text, the life cycle of these images, and our knowledge of the events shown, continues to develop as these photographs go on view at the Art Institute for the first time.
A number of these photos can be seen in the current photography rotation (April 2026) in Gallery 10, which highlights workers’ rights. These rotations, which typically occur in April and October, offer visitors a chance to explore a new selection of photographs from our expansive collection. They also allow staff, and interns like me, the opportunity to research little-known objects.
—Mary Wade, McMullan Arts Leadership Intern, Photography and Media
