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Longshoremen working in the hold of a ship
Currently on display
From the Smithsonian Collection
The photo shows Local 10 longshoremen Herb Mills (left) and Peter H. Brown working in the hold of a ship in the 1960s. Mills is gesturing to someone on deck, possibly indicating to another longshoreman that a slingload of cargo is ready to lift. His shirt is the traditional "hickory" blue-and-white-striped work shirt favored by West Coast longshoremen. The lack of protective head gear suggests the photo was taken before hardhats were required in the early 1970s. |
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Physical Description |
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Photograph
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Details |
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Dates Used: |
about 1965 - about 1965
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Note: | San Francisco waterfront |
Credit: | Gift of Herb Mills |
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History |
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Conventional (non-containerized) longshore work involved gangs of men working together to load or discharge various types of cargo. Each ship represented a new set of challenges and longshoremen took pride in their ability to figure out how best to deal with different cargos and different space requirements. Men working in the holds and those working topsides had to communicate with each other and they developed both verbal and non-verbal signals for getting the job done safely.
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