The Heartbreaking Story Behind the 1948 '4 Children for Sale' Photo

A shocking 1948 photograph of a Chicago couple selling their four children sent shockwaves across America. The story behind the image is far more tragic than the picture itself. The unemployed father abandoned the family, leaving the mother unable to cope, resulting in the children being sold separately and experiencing drastically different fates. The youngest child was adopted by a strict but kind couple, leading a relatively stable life; while two others were treated as slaves by their buyers, enduring abuse and hardship. Years later, surviving siblings reunited, recounting their harrowing past and expressing deep resentment towards their mother. This story exposes the desperation and helplessness of lower-class families in 20th-century America, reflecting the shortcomings of child protection at the time.