1874-1940

LEWIS HINE: SOCIAL REFORM

EARLY BACKGROUND: LEWIS WICKES HINE

• Born in Oshkosh, Wisconsin on September, 26th 1874.

• Studied sociology in Chicago and New York at the University of Chicago,

Columbia University and New York University.

Image Source: http://home.comcast.net/~linkrocks/bio.htm

MORE BACKGROUND:

• His father passed away when Hine was still young. Therefore he had to work

in order to pay for his college education.

• 1906 – staff photographer of the Russell Sage Foundation

Image Source: http://www.legendsofamerica.com/20th-lewishine.html

EXAMPLES OF HINE’S PHOTOGRAPHIC STYLE:

Image Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17673213

PRINCIPLES:

• Keep it Simple

• Quality of light

• What feelings does the image create?

Aside from the wooden boards behind him, the young boy is the primary

component of this tremendously simple composition. All of the attention is

directly on him, there is no clutter to act as a distraction for the viewer. I was

immediately drawn to his thick curls and the dark circles under his innocent

eyes. In my opinion the lighting utilized by Hine is both bold and dramatic and

adds to the authenticity and realism of this image. This photograph broke my

heart, the subject’s chronological age is probably around six or seven, yet, his

face has aged substantially. He looks exhausted and run down. Characteristics

that should not be evident in a child his age.

EXAMPLES OF HINE’S PHOTOGRAPHIC STYLE:

Image Source: http://cynthiajphotography.com/2011/02/17/lewis-hine/

PRINCIPLES:

• Use of lines

• Depth of field

• In or out of focus

The perpendicular lines of the machinery lead you straight to the main subject in

this image and also contributes to depth of field. This further illustrates the size

and magnitude of the equipment and also communicates danger in my opinion.

Although the photograph is a little soft and out of focus, the young girl is the

main focus and she appears lost in the jaws of the machines, completely out of

her comfort zone.

EXAMPLES OF HINE’S PHOTOGRAPHIC STYLE:

Image Source: http://www.theoldphotoalbum.com/2009/05/lewis-hine-child-labor-vi/

PRINCIPLES;

• Subject’s expressions

• Obvious main subject

• Abstraction

Out of the group of boys, only one subject sports a smile. The rest look fed up

and miserable and appear to have just finished a shift of some kind as their

faces are all filthy with dirt. Obviously there is not an obvious main subject in this

image, Hine photographed a whole troop of boys. In my opinion, this image is

completely representational of what children were subjected to in the workplace

before any type of social reform.

EXAMPLES OF HINE’S PHOTOGRAPHIC STYLE:

Image Source: http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/coll/207-b.html

PRINCIPLES:

• Contrast appropriate

• What feelings does the image create?

• Texture

The subject stands out against the white background and therefore Hine used

appropriate contrast. This tool further contributes to the melancholy mood of the

image. Once again, seeing the little boy, covered in dirt and wearing no shoes

outside was tough to swallow for me. The image screams poverty. In addition,

texture is evident in the background. Although we do not know what the boy is

exactly standing on, it reinforces the treatment children were subjected to prior

to the introduction of child labor laws.

MY MAJOR AT AIC:

• The only connection I can really draw between my major at AIC and Lewis

Hine is our love and passion for working with children.

• Although I am a double major in Communications and Psychology I plan to

pursue a Graduate Program in Clinical Psychology and eventually seek

licensure to become a mental health counselor.

• The target population I want to eventually work with is children and/or

adolescents.

Image Source: http://clouducation.wordpress.com/2012/05/07/8-things-teachers-dont-understand-

until-they-are-parents/