Eskimo Women Pray for Influenza Vaccine, 1935

Silver gelatin press photo from 1935 of Native American study hymnal in wait for influenza vaccine. 7" x 9" inches. Dated May 8th, 1935. Has press stamps and article clipping on back. Silver gelatin print. The article on back reads that an influenza epidemic was killing Native people in small Alaskan settlements like Point Barrow, and medical missionaries were advocating for the a vaccine rollout to meet the outbreaks. These girls were likely of the Iñupiaq tribe, who had learned to survive the harsh Arctic climate but were being ravaged by the outbreak influenza in their remote enclave. The photograph signals the piety of the Iñupiaq people as they waited for medical rescue. A Native woman sits in a tufted leather armchair with an open hymnal in her hands, eyes downcast to read its pages. Standing behind her resting their elbows on the chair back are three Native girls all sharing one hymnal above the woman's head. One girl looks at the hymnal while the other look to the camera, their faces a mix of questioning and serenity. The girl in the middle has her lips parted as if in song. All four wear cotton housedresses of the 30's with their hair parted down the middle and pulled back in low buns. Press photos were taken within tight timeframes by photojournalists for particular editorial boards and often influenced public opinion. This photo came a year after the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 which attempted to reverse some of the damage caused by earlier policies enforcing Native assimilation. Some very light discoloration on the white border does not effect photograph. Overall very good condition.