Mery Horn, a hunchback condition aggravated by the heavy load of papers she carried. Hartford, Connecticut, March 1909 1909

Lewis Hine made this photograph in Hartford, Connecticut, in March 1909. The image is of a young girl, Mery Horn, burdened by the weight of the papers she carried. It's rendered in tones of grey and sepia; the soft gradations and the way the shadows define her small face. You can see her eyes staring straight ahead, and the set of her mouth. There's a heaviness there, a weight beyond her years. I wonder what Hine was thinking as he took this shot. Did he feel a sense of responsibility, knowing this image might spark change? He captures the texture of the brick behind her, the rough fabric of her coat. It’s a gesture of solidarity. I'm reminded of other artists who have used their work to shed light on social injustice, like Käthe Kollwitz, with her unflinching portrayals of poverty and war. Artists like Hine and Kollwitz remind us of the power of art to bear witness. It's like they're all in dialogue, across time, each adding their voice to the chorus.