Girl Entering Factory 1912

Lewis Hine made this photograph of a girl entering a factory sometime in the early 20th century. The image works with a very limited tonal range, almost like a black and white painting, where the different shades of grey create depth and form. What I love is the composition. We see a young girl, dwarfed by the huge doorway, and she is entering what we assume is a factory. It's a powerful image, made even more poignant by the presence of the man standing in the shadows to the left of the frame, looking directly at the camera. Look at the texture of the building, the rough surface of the street, and the smooth lines of the girl’s coat. All these details add to the emotional impact of the piece. The white box she is holding draws the eye and creates a visual tension that mirrors the uncertainty of her future. Hine's work reminds me of the paintings of Käthe Kollwitz, who also documented the lives of working-class people. Like Kollwitz, Hine invites us to consider the human cost of progress, and reminds us that art can be a powerful tool for social change.