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July 1936. "Child of migratory fruit worker in tent camp at Yakima, Washington." Seen earlier here. Medium format negative by Arthur Rothstein. View full size.
The knife looks very much like an Ontario Knife 5125SS 4" Seed Potato Knife, although it could be a 5115SS 4" Vegetable Knife.
I have a 5125SS in my general mechanic/household toolbox; it is a most useful tool. Never tried it on a potato.
there was no mother around, just a father and the three kids. Hope everything turned out well for them. Was a single dad myself for a number of years.
This little girl doesn't look like she's more than about twelve, but she looks like she's all ready been keeping house for quite a few years. I wonder if her mother had passed away and she, being the oldest daughter, was required to take over the housekeeping and cooking. I'll bet she did more work in a day than most kids now do in a month. I hope things improved for her family and she had a good life.
I also wonder about that knife she is using to pare potatoes. It looks like the tip is square. I can't recall seeing one like that before.
What a difference. In the first photo I commented that in spite of the apparent desperation the children were smiling. Here this young lady, in what I imagine to be, her best dress, appears not only happy but allows Mr Rothstein to be at his best.
I assume that was provided by the camp?
I can't see them lugging that monstrous thing across county in the back of old Bessie!
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