Donald Trump may want to curb immigration but these stunning black and white photos from Ellis Island are a reminder that America was built on migrants.
The striking images show the diversity of people who arrived in New York looking for a new life at the turn of the 19th century.
Under construction for a decade, the Ellis Island immigration station opened in New York harbor in 1900, just in time for the huge upswing in immigration to the United States that took place in the years leading up to World War I.
In 1907, the peak year of immigration, 3,000 to 5,000 newcomers a day were examined at Ellis Island as they sought permanent entry to the country
Pictures of the people coming through the port are now on display at the New York Public Library among their digital collections.
William Williams collected the photographs while he was Commissioner of Immigration for the Port of New York at Ellis Island between 1902-5 and 1909-13.
Many photographers were drawn to Ellis Island by the general human interest and newsworthiness of the scene.
One amateur photographer, Augustus Sherman, the Ellis Island Chief Registry Clerk, had special access to potential subjects for his camera.
It is possible, for example, that Commissioner Williams requested that he photograph specific individuals and groups.
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