09/08/2026
This , we are celebrating the many contributions of waterfront workers to the prosperity of New York City, the state, and the nation. Thanks to this diverse workforce, the Port of New York became one of the most important locations in history, a national economic dynamo, and the busiest port in the Western Hemisphere by 1870.
Waterfront workers performed essential operations in the daily life of the port: stevedores loaded and unloaded cargo; chandlers provided tools and supplies to sailors and captains; divers performed underwater ship repairs; printers manufactured newspapers, posters, invoices, and other documents that supported the various commercial activities. And let’s not forget the men, women, and children working in hotels, boarding houses, restaurants, and markets right here at the Seaport. These people of all backgrounds worked long, grueling hours, often operating heavy machinery, and risking life and limb.
Learn more about the indefatigable workers who made the Port of New York a powerhouse of business, exchange, and creativity in the Collections Chronicles blog post “Labor on the Waterfront”: bit.ly/labor-waterfront
Image: Ivan Pranishnikoff, artist. Harper's Weekly, publisher. “Scene on a New York Dock—Stevedores Unloading a Ship.”, July 14, 1877. Gift of Joseph Cantalupo 1979.272
