In 1912, three young girls briefly posed outside the Porte Mill in Gastonia, North Carolina, unaware that their photograph would endure for more than a century. Among them was nine-year-old Pearl Turner, who had been working in the mill since she was six. Like many children of that era, she spent long hours surrounded by cotton dust and dangerous machinery. Life was harsh, and few young mill workers survived into adulthood in good health.
Fast forward to 2025: researchers examining Thomas Himmel’s historic photo collection made a fascinating discovery. Using modern imaging techniques, they studied Pearl’s face in the photograph and noticed subtle features that hinted at a rare genetic resilience to respiratory illnesses. While many children exposed to the mill’s harsh conditions suffered lifelong lung problems, Pearl lived until 1964—far longer than most of her peers.
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