26/09/2025
Lewis Hine (1874–1940) believed that a camera could be a tool for justice. Trained as a sociologist, Hine first used photography in the early 1900s to document the lives of immigrants arriving at Ellis Island. He quickly realized the power of images to tell stories that words alone could not convey.
Hine is best remembered for his groundbreaking work with the National Child Labor Committee. At a time when children as young as six worked in factories, mills, and fields, his photographs gave them a voice. With determination and quiet courage, he travelled across the United States, often disguising himself to gain access to workplaces. His images revealed the reality of child labour to the public and lawmakers, helping to bring about reforms that transformed American labour laws.
In the 1920s and 1930s, Hine turned his lens toward America’s industrial might. In Power House Mechanic Working on Steam Pump, the worker and machine merge into a powerful symbol of strength and modernity. In Icarus, Empire State Building, a daring figure balances high above the city, evoking both myth and progress. And in Old Timer Structural Worker, the lines etched on a man’s face speak as eloquently as the steel beams he helped raise.
What makes Hine’s work remarkable is his ability to honour both the dignity of labour and the humanity of the individual. He saw workers not as anonymous cogs in an industrial age, but as people whose efforts built the modern world. His photographs are both documentary evidence and works of art; accessible to anyone who looks closely.
Hine’s iconic images remind us of photography’s power to create empathy, ignite social change, and celebrate the extraordinary lives of ordinary people.
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