Mississippi Cotton Gin at Dahomey

American 19th Century, Detroit Photographic Company

National Gallery of Art

This photograph shows the interior of a large industrial building filled with piles of raw cotton and large machinery. Wooden support beams stretch up to a tall, planked ceiling, all covered in fluffy white cotton. There are several large machines with cotton accumulating around them, including one close to us at the bottom left. A burlap sack is clamped into a mechanical press in the large machine, appearing full of white cotton. Around and on top of this machine are five men, all working on different areas. One turns a wheel, one holds a hammer, two push a large wooden beam, and one stands behind a long plank. All of these men have dark brown skin and wear shirts and trousers with suspenders. They are all covered in white cotton. In the background are more men, standing in different areas of the building and looking towards the machine in the bottom left. These men wear jackets and wide-brimmed hats. Two appear to have dark skin, and two appear to have light skin, although the photograph is faded and details are indistinct.