Stolen Childhoods
“The children you are about to see are not like us. They are trapped in an economic world where greedy and desperate- often criminal- people victimize the young and where international policy and assistance is so terribly under-funded and lacking in will and resolve that it is of little help. For most, their labor will not end with a return to school. For many their labor will not end until they die, usually at a very young age.” – U. Roberto Robin Romano, excerpt from the Stolen Childhoods Exhibition Book
Perhaps the most expansive and complex project within the U. Roberto Romano Papers, this collection spans dozens of locations and industries. From gravel quarries and brick kilns in India to street children and tobacco harvesting in Mexico, Robin dedicated himself to capturing the stories of the severe circumstances that children in these industries face.
This collection offers a wide variety of materials; in addition to work prints, digital photograph files, art prints, and negatives, Romano amassed a wide variety of documents, including research files, publications, and exhibition materials. A selection of material from the Stolen Childhoods project is available through the digital repository.
Browse the Stolen Childhoods digital collection
