State Historical Society of Iowa

Open Trash Cans Along a New York City Street, April 1943

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Open Trash Cans Along a New York City Street, April 1943
Courtesy of Library of Congress, Parks, Gordon, "New York, New York. Street scene showing open trash cans along the curb," April 1943

Description

This photograph shows open trash cans along a street in New York City in April 1943. Picking up litter is part of being a good citizen. If you are walking through a street and you see a bag floating through the air, pick it up and fill it with other trash you find. If you see a full bottle of water on the side of the road, make sure you have gloves on unless the bottle is empty, then pick it up then put it in recycling.

Source-Dependent Questions

  • What would a responsible citizen do if they saw trash on the ground?
  • What common themes do you find between this photo, the image of the landfill and the image of the compost pile?

Citation Information 

Parks, Gordon, "New York, New York. Street scene showing open trash cans along the curb," April 1943. Courtesy of Library of Congress