Lewis Hine
Lewis Hine
Hine was a photographer who understood how imagery can spread a message to cause reformation in societal values and beliefs (1). Born in 1874, he struggled during the economic panic in 1892, causing him to be jobless with a deceased father and little income for his family. He then met Frank Manny, who encouraged him to go back to school, and a year later he enrolled at the University of Chicago with a part-time job to pay his fees. He was studying to become a teacher. He went on to receive a Masters in teaching, and in 1904 he took up photography after Frank Manny encouraged him to become the school photographer, documenting the school activities. He set up after school clubs for photography to teach not only the students but himself. Manny persuaded Hine to photograph the immigrants at Ellis Island, in order for the students of the school to respect them as much as anybody else. After two years of going back to the island Hine had somewhat mastered the art of photography. After a few more projects, the National Child Labour Committee asked Hine to help with their campaign against child labour. He had landed himself a full time job investigating the lives affected and the laws of child labour.(1)
"I felt that I was merely changing my educational efforts from the classroom to the world"
- Lewis Hine (1)
Knitting Stockings in a hosiery mill, Loudon, Tennessee, 1910
Within this image we clearly see a couple of young girls working on machinery in a factory. To the right there are more workers. They all seem to be completely concentrated on what they're working on, with eyes down and expressionless faces. No anger at the system, so sadness, but acceptance that this is what it is, and it has to be done. The image is framed to fit in lots of different aspects of the factory; the workers, machinery, and to the left, a man with hat, who's face we can only partially see. This man helps start to form a narrative within the image; perhaps he's a supervisor.
The fact that the girls have to be on steps in order to work shows just how wrong it is that they're there. Clearly, the machinery wasn't made for children, however employers wanting cheap labour supplied them with steps and they worked regardless.
Wool is scattered all over the floor, perhaps illustrating that children are messy, that they aren't supposed to be ready for work. It seems to destroy the uniformity of the photograph; the only thing that isn't in place, as if the machinery and girls are dolls and props placed there, not to be moved.
The fact that the girls have to be on steps in order to work shows just how wrong it is that they're there. Clearly, the machinery wasn't made for children, however employers wanting cheap labour supplied them with steps and they worked regardless.
Wool is scattered all over the floor, perhaps illustrating that children are messy, that they aren't supposed to be ready for work. It seems to destroy the uniformity of the photograph; the only thing that isn't in place, as if the machinery and girls are dolls and props placed there, not to be moved.
It's not a doubt that Hine knew the effect that this image would have on an audience, how the composition would affect the image. Within 'Kids at Work - Lewis Hine and the Crusade Against Child Labour' by Russel Freedman, it's said that 'he knew the height of each button on his vest from the floor, so he could measure a child standing alongside him with no one being the wiser. Hidden in his pocket was a small notebook. He used it to record the name, ages, hours of work, daily earnings, schooling, and other facts about each child he photographed"
"All along I had to be double-sure that my photo data was 100% pure - no retouching or fakery of any kind"
- Lewis Hine (1)
Within his work, what appeals to me most is how he shoots the workers in their element; working with the equipment, in their uniforms or work clothes, their faces tired, dirty, concentrated. All of this was necessary for Hine to create the impact he so wished. He wanted society to reform their values and for law to stop letting such dangerous work happen for such little money. He and those who were against what they called 'child slavery' pleaded that it stopped children getting a decent education and making something for themselves, that they were wasting their lives in these factories.
Within my own work, I aim to take inspiration from Hine and show the workers with their tools. While Hine and I have rather different objectives, I feel that he knew by showing the tools of the trade being used, he helped get the message across. Perhaps if I did the same, I could also show the specialist knowledge required to work with horses.
Within his work, what appeals to me most is how he shoots the workers in their element; working with the equipment, in their uniforms or work clothes, their faces tired, dirty, concentrated. All of this was necessary for Hine to create the impact he so wished. He wanted society to reform their values and for law to stop letting such dangerous work happen for such little money. He and those who were against what they called 'child slavery' pleaded that it stopped children getting a decent education and making something for themselves, that they were wasting their lives in these factories.
Within my own work, I aim to take inspiration from Hine and show the workers with their tools. While Hine and I have rather different objectives, I feel that he knew by showing the tools of the trade being used, he helped get the message across. Perhaps if I did the same, I could also show the specialist knowledge required to work with horses.
Sources:
1. Kids at Work: Lewis Hine and the Crusade Against Child Labor, Russel Freedman,1994
Comments
Post a Comment