Where the Immigration Inspectors Dined

New York City, 

1904-1905 

The immigration station on Ellis Island reopened in 1900 after a fire destroyed the original complex three years earlier. By 1902, “Kindness and Consideration” signs were posted throughout the halls, reminding immigration inspectors, social workers, and medical staff to treat the newcomers with empathy and respect. From 1900 to 1918, ten million people passed through Ellis Island. Unlike the 19th century, when most of the immigrants hailed from Northern and Western Europe, the early 20th century saw a massive surge from Eastern Europe, Czarist Russia, and Southern Italy. Menus from annual employee outings in 1904 and 1905 reflect the cuisines of these newer arrivals, an irony given that some staff members opposed the immigration policies of the time. The pair of menus brings to mind the phrase “unwitting historical evidence,” sometimes used to describe ephemera.