I was curious, because when I worked a similar low-wage physical job (in Jacksonville, in fact), we got a half hour and ate what we had brought with us.

Turns out lunch breaks have been around since the industrial revolution. But, says The Guardian, "Lunch has also been a source of tension between management and workers. By the late 19th century, factory owners began allotting a specific amount of time for lunch, one that would maximize worker output and make bosses the most money."

It's clear, though, that "lunch hour" was familiar enough in around 1910 to be used (perhaps generically) by DPC.

[And if you actually lived in Jacksonville, you'd call it "dinner." - Dave]

By my Jax era, 'dinner' had slipped down and was more or less an alternative term with 'supper', EXCEPT when when it was the large, formal midday meal, like Sunday dinner or 'dinner on the grounds'. But we at the paper mill would never call our meagre 30 minutes 'dinner'.

The gentleman peering into the bucket in the knot of lunch customers in the lower left seems unimpressed by the menu. Maybe it smelled bad.

At lower right, the fellow appears to be either caught in mid-squat (curiously, no blur), performing a feat of strength (try that pose for a few seconds), or sitting on an invisible stool (no shadow where one should be).

These wonderful details, as well as marvelous mustaches, make this an exceptional photograph.

Lunch Ladies in straw hats and the male workers in felt hats or other materials. And difference in styles of workers to bosses as pointed out.

Based on the old location of the Florida Times-Union building, this photo is appears to be looking north up Hogan Street from the water's edge, which was further north than it is today. This appears to be approximately the same view from present day:

There are three groups of men gathered around women serving lunch. Groups one and two are about the same size. But what is the attraction at Group 3? It has twice the crowd. Was the food that much better? Was it because this lunch was supplied the respective employer? I can only guess.

No wonder the apparent boss is walking on those two long boards - I'd also be afraid to walk on that dilapidated wharf! Can't supervise anyone if you have to keep your eyes down to avoid falling through a hole.

The man in the lower right corner (just above the SHORPY legend) is eating his lunch in a position seldom seen among, and not easily maintained by adults. Not quite the full squat commonly seen in Asian populations, he has achieved an unusual balance.

It must be a quick lunch.

A marvelous snapshot in time. The lunch wagon and the lunch ladies with aprons. The bosses also stand out. Thank you for bringing history into the present.