In 1892, New York State passed a law aimed at removing garment shops from tenement apartments. Though it was not entirely effective, the combination of legislation and shifting trends in the garment industry ultimately spelled the end of apartment-based factories.

Indeed, by the early 20th Century, the Levines had closed their tenement shop and moved to Brooklyn. However, the legacy of cramped, stifling garment shops lives today in dozens of hidden factories across New York City and the world.

Like the Levine apartment, these factories still raise questions about how to both address the past and manage the future of the garment industry.

 

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