Boy at Planing Machine 1908
lewishine
minneapolisinstituteofart
gelatin-silver-print
gelatin-silver-print
wedding photograph
black and white photography
wedding photography
black and white format
archive photography
historical photography
black and white theme
old-timey
black and white
monochrome photography
united-states
Lewis Hine's 1908 photo "Boy at Planing Machine" is a powerful example of his social documentary work, which focused on exposing the harsh realities of child labor in early 20th-century America. This black-and-white photograph captures the somber expression of a young boy, likely under the age of 14, working with a dangerous planing machine in a factory setting. Hine's use of dramatic lighting and the boy's isolated position highlight the vulnerability and exploitation of child workers, advocating for social change and labor reform.
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Lewis Hine was a documentary photographer, educator, and social reformer. Trained in sociology, Hine taught at the progressive Ethical Culture School in New York City before turning his attention to photography. As a photographer for the National Child Labor Committee (NCLC), Hine traveled the United States to document children in unsafe working conditions in factories, mines, fields, and city streets. Over ten years, he created an indelible record of the human cost of an exploitative labor market, documenting the tired faces of children at the end of their shifts, or even children mutilated by industrial machinery. These disturbing photographs were used in publications and presentations created by Hine and the NCLC, and ultimately promoted sweeping policy changes designed to protect children.
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