Shuttle

Many of Carl Sandburg’s poems describe the plight of the worker, particularly those in the early part of the 20th century. His poem Mill Doors depict life in textile mills where children worked long hours tending large automated weaving machines. Shuttles like this one needed to be threaded and loaded into the machine. It was dangerous to do so and often led to injury. Sandburg believed, “the laborer is not a machine, but that he has a soul and that his soul has a right to see and enjoy the clear sky, works of art, health, sanity, and beauty.” ( Niven, p 55)
Metal, wood, cotton. L 41.0, W 3.8 cm
Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site, CARL 49108