Breaker Boys - Pittston Pennsylvania Poster

From the description with the photo: "These are all breaker-boys. (See photos taken at Ewen Breaker, later.) They were very suspicious of my motives. Sam Bellom (boy on left end of photo), 58 Pine Street. Been working in breaker #9 for two years, he says. He says, also, that he is 14 years old, but does not appear to be? Sam Topent (next to Bellom), 52 Pine Street. Been working at Ewen Breaker two years. Said, "I'm fourteen years, an' if you don' believe me, I kin show you de proofs." (They were all suspicious.) This boy had told the School Principal the other day that he was 13 years old, which may be too high. James Ritz (in middle), 28 Pine Street. Been working one year at Ewen Breaker. Said "14 years old," but this is unbelievable. Mikey Captan (small boy on James' left) 45 Pine St. Been working one year at Ewen Breaker, said he was 12 years old, but doesn't appear to be that. Tony Captan (right end of photo), 45 Pine St. Been working in Ewen Breaker one year. I found these boys and many others, working at Ewen Breaker, and photographed them (see photos). Boy on extreme right end of photo is Jo Topent, 52 Pine St. Been working at Ewen Breaker two years. Said he was 14 years old but does not appear to be. He was very suspicious of me and refused to be in first photo. Location: Pittston, Pennsylvania." Breaker boys worked in the coal mines. They broke coal into smaller pieces, separated the pieces by size, and removed impurities such as rock, slate and clay from the coal. Photo taken by Lewis Wickes Hine in January, 1911.