Shirley Burden is best known for his photographic essay of Ellis Island, shot in the 1950s—not long after it retired from serving as immigrants’ gateway to America. The black-and-white prints depict a nearly deserted space that nonetheless still bears traces of the millions of individuals who passed through. Having worked as a filmmaker in the late 1920s, Burden went on to produce training films for the American military during World War II before embarking on his career as a documentary photographer. Other of his prominent series explored Catholic culture, racial intolerance, and architectural design.