In January 1942, people waited in line at the surplus commodities office in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. The Library of Congress record for Jack Delano's photograph says fatback and meal were distributed that day.
The word 'surplus' described the goods from an administrative perspective; it did not mean recipients' households had more than enough. Food listed as stock became material for a meal only after distribution. The photograph captures the last step from government category to daily life, a step made of people waiting one by one.