The Migration Series, Panel no. 39: Railroad platforms were piled high with luggage.

The title of this print describes the immensity of the belongings the migrants brought with them from the South to the North. Lawrence depicts this visually with a mound of colorful bags and trunks, creating a geometrical form that dominates over half of the picture space, demonstrating not only the amount of baggage brought but also the permanent nature of the move. The figure waiting for the train in blue is seen holding a baby, perhaps indicating the most precious items brought along were one another.
SKU: 64044
Creator: Jacob Lawrence
Date: between 1940 and 1941
Original Medium: Casein tempera on hardboard
Original Size: 12 x 18 in.
Location: The Phillips Collection
© 2016 The Jacob and Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence Foundation, Seattle / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York