Lewis Hine
Lewis Hine (September 26, 1874 in Oshkosh, Winston – November 3, 1940 Dobbs Ferry, New York) His work was instrumental in changing child labor laws and his camera was used as a tool for social reform in the United States. He took photos to show the country the cruelties of child labor.
Style
American Sociologist and Photographer
Beginnings
Lewis Hine began working and saved money for college after his father passed away in an accident. He became a teacher at the Ethical Culture School in New York City after studying sociology NYU, University of Chicago and Columbia University. Once he became a teacher he started taking his classes on field trips. He then started taking pictures of the various places and this is when he realized that photography was his passion.
Career
In a decade while working as a photographer for the National Child Labor Committee (NCLC) in 1907, Lewis Hine documented child labor in the industry in America to aid the NCLC’s lobbying against child labor. From 1906 to 1908 he was a freelance photographer for leading source reform magazine “The Survey”. In 1913 Lewis established himself as the most successful social welfare photographer. In 1917 he worked for the American Red Cross after his salary was reduced at the NCLC. In 1920 Lewis returned to New York City and worked for the American Red Cross National Headquarters. In 1930 Lewis was hired to photograph the construction of the Empire State Building. From 1936 to 1937 he was selected as the head photographer for the National Research Project of the Workers Progress Administration but his work was never finished.
Exhibits
Lewis Hine’s largest exhibit was held at the Yonkers Art Museum in 1931. Several exhibits established his reputation in San Francisco and San Diego. In the 1930’s several of Lewis work was obtained by the Museum of Modern Art, the Brooklyn Museum and the Metropolitan Museum. In 1939 a retrospective of Lewis specially made large prints were viewed at the Riverside Museum in New York City. This exhibit traveled to Des Moines Fine Arts Association Gallery in Iowa and the New York State Museum in Albany.
Death
Lewis Hine died on November 3, 1940 at Dobbs Ferry Hospital in Dobbs Ferry, New York after an operation, he was 66. After his death his son Corydon donated his fathers prints and negatives to the Photo League and eventually these were donated to the George Eastman House.