Dimensions: 4 7/16 x 6 3/8 in. (11.27 x 16.19 cm) (image, sheet)
Copyright: No Copyright - United States
This small photograph of a newsboy on a bicycle was made by Lewis Hine sometime in the early 20th century. It's all about the grays, isn't it? The gray of the pavement, the boy's cap, the shadow stretching out behind him. I love the texture of the image itself; you can almost feel the graininess of the paper and the way the light catches on the surface. The boy's face is serious, his eyes fixed on something ahead. It's hard to tell exactly where he's going, but there's a sense of determination in his posture, you can almost feel the city streets under the bike’s tires. Hine was a photographer with a social mission, and it reminds me a little of Walker Evans, who documented a very specific moment in time, in a similar palette, and it’s amazing how much emotion he could pack into such a small frame. It’s an ongoing dialogue of time and place, of hard work and a life lived on the move.
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