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. Many photographers, who specialized in maritime subjects, were drawn to Ellis Island by the general human interest and newsworthiness of the scene. These photographs from The New York Public Library depict scenes from 1902-1913 that would not look out of place today at certain immigration processing centers.