Itinerant cotton fluffer

A young cotton fluffer walking home with his implement. Cotton fluffers are hired to take out and renew old, mouldy and crushed cotton that has been inside a mattress or quilt for a long time. The tool has a long string which is stretched between both ends of the stick. By winding the cotton on the tightly drawn string and then beating the string, the cotton fluffer is able to spread out the cotton fibers. Cotton fluffing is an ancient profession that is entirely unheard of in the west, where cotton culture is relatively new. Machinery has taken the place of individual cotton fluffers, whose skills were then relegated to itinerant work for families having small batches of cotton needing to be cleaned and recycled.