Pullman Porter Mannequin

StudioEIS, Brooklyn
1995

George Pullman recruited only Black men, many of them formerly enslaved, to work as porters, believing that they could be trained to be perfect servants while working long hours for low wages. For nearly 100 years, Pullman porters helped define rail travel within the United States. They were essentially at the beck and call of first-class passengers to shine shoes, carry baggage, make beds, and other tasks. Porters had to work 400 hours a month and often had 20-hour shifts with only three or four hours of sleep. They also had to pay for their own food and uniforms.

National Park Service photograh