Ellis Island immigration hall. 19th-century artwork of crowds of potential immigrants passing through the Great Hall at the immigration station on Ellis Island, New York City, USA. From the 1890s to the 1950s, this immigration station was the busiest in the USA. Millions of working class people passed through from Europe and elsewhere in search of a new life in the USA. As well as having their details recorded, the potential immigrants were inspected for signs of disease. This wood engraving dates from circa 1897.