Captured in Time: Syrian Immigrant Sultana Numeir upon Arrival in America in 1890

The fact that this image exists is remarkable enough, but the story that spilled out of it is even more so. Included in a scrapbook of <a href="https://megansmolenyak.com/immigrant-photos/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">immigrant photos taken between 1890 and 1892</a> by E.W. Austin who worked at the Barge Office while Ellis Island was being constructed (well before the widely known <a href="https://www.nps.gov/media/photo/gallery.htm?id=6529eb6c-155d-451f-67debad6f88dcf07" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">Augustus Sherman</a> and <a href="https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/collections/lewis-wickes-hine-documentary-photographs-1905-1938#/?tab=navigation&roots=1:1395b990-c62a-012f-8040-58d385a7bc34" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">Lewis Hine</a> collections), it’s clear that it meant more to him (or perhaps the recipient) than most as close inspection reveals that it had once been framed. And then there was the caption which was more detailed than usual: “Sultana Numeir, age 18 — Lebanon, Syria — speaks English & Spanish.” Wondering whether I could pick up Sultana’s trail to learn what had become of this striking young woman, I received a quick assist when I realized a neighboring photo in the album also included Sultana. This one was described as “a family of 4 from Syria, Turkey — Two Hebrews from Oran, Algiers.” <a href="https://smolenyak.medium.com/captured-in-time-syrian-immigrant-sultana-numeir-upon-arrival-in-america-in-1890-adaaeafafe63">Read More</a>