Lewis Hine and the National Child Labor Committee were concerned about young messenger boys, especially about the seamy environment to which they were often exposed. That concern is obvious in the caption: "...shows him in the heart of the Red Light district, where he was delivering messages as he does several times a day." Young Isaac's occupation was commonly defined as one of the "street trades," which included newsboys, bootblacks, and children hawking candy bars and chewing gum.

I found Isaac in Waco in the 1910 census, nine years old, living with his widowed mother Fannie, and 15-year-old brother Walter. Fannie's occupation was listed as "washing," which may indicate that she was either "taking in wash," or perhaps working at a laundry. It was later established that Fannie's name was actually Frances.

Subsequent census information and other official documents established that Isaac was born in Texas, on March 20, 1901. He married Viola Howard about 1922, and had his first child, Jewell, in 1923. In the 1930 census, his occupation was listed as auto mechanic. They later divorced. He died in Waco on May 23, 1966, at the age of 65.

My first attempts to locate descendants ended in frustration. I tracked down a grandson, who didn't seem to know very much, but he was surprised and interested, so I sent him the Hine photo. But when I called back a few weeks later, his phone had been disconnected, and I lost touch with him. About six months later I tried some more options and was able to obtain a copy of his obituary and some other documents. This finally led me to a daughter, whom I interviewed. She knew very little about her father, but what she did say offers some interesting insights.