Lewis Hine
USABiography of Lewis Hine
Lewis Wickes Hine was born in 1874 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Despite facing difficulties, he pursued his dream of receiving a good education. Hine attended the University of Chicago, Columbia University, and New York University, ultimately obtaining a master's degree in sociology. From a young age, Hine had a passion for photography and he never let go of that dream. He began teaching at the Ethical Culture School in New York City, where he incorporated elements of photography into his curriculum.
Photography Career
Hine acquired the necessary equipment – a camera and magnesium flash – and taught himself how to use them. His photographs captured the school life of that time. As he continued to take pictures, Hine became fascinated with the topic of immigrants who arrived in large numbers in the United States during those years. His photography focused on the harsh realities of poverty and destitution. However, despite the despair and confusion depicted in his photographs, the people he captured were filled with hope.
Progressive magazines began publishing Hine's photographs, and fueled by this success, he left teaching to fully dedicate himself to photography. He continued to capture the "problematic" aspects of life, and child labor exploitation became one of his major themes. Hine traveled extensively across the country, gaining access to factories and mills where child labor was prevalent. The resulting images stirred a wave of emotions within the viewers.
In 1908, Hine became the official photographer for the National Child Labor Committee (NCLC), leading the campaign against child labor. The photographs from this period were incredibly expressive, depicting young miners, weavers, and children standing next to towering machines. These images were revolutionary, and they evoked a flood of new emotions. Hine referred to this series of photographs as a "gallery of the lost generation." One of the most famous photographs from this series is of a young girl turning away from a massive machine, gazing out the window at the world outside the factory.
Later in the 1920s and 1930s, Hine documented the lives of American workers. His photographs of the construction of the Empire State Building and his work during the First World War with the Red Cross gained significant popularity. He also worked with the Red Cross during the Great Depression and captured his famous photographs of drought in the South.
Legacy
Hine is often referred to as the pioneer of social photography. It was largely due to his photographs that laws protecting child labor were eventually enacted. In his later years, Hine focused more on the composition of his photos, resulting in more polished images. However, many admirers of his talent prefer his early works for their raw and vivid quality.
Unfortunately, Hine faced financial difficulties in his photography career and eventually lost his home. He passed away on November 3, 1940, at the Dobbs Ferry Hospital after undergoing surgery.
After Hine's death, his son Corydon donated his father's negatives to the disbanded Photo League. The Museum of Modern Art declined Hine's works, but they were accepted by the renowned George Eastman House Museum of Photography in Rochester, New York.
