This photograph shows workers in a field in 1880. The workers are posed to depict a seemingly natural scene, taking a break from their work. Some are chewing the cane they have cut. The man on the right wearing a suit and hat may be a European plantation owner or manager. The unknown photographer could have chosen to take a very different picture. He could have tried to photograph the back-breaking work that made the cane cutter’s job so difficult. After slavery had ended, the life of workers such as these sugar-cane cutters continued to be harsh in many ways.