Girls Going Home from Indianapolis Tile Works 1908

Lewis Hine captured this photograph of girls leaving the Indianapolis Tile Works. I'm drawn to the textures of the brickwork—it’s almost like a minimalist grid, softened by grime, shadow, and the random imperfections of the building’s surface. I imagine Hine finding the right spot, framing these young workers against this industrial backdrop. What was he thinking, feeling, as he documented their lives? You can almost feel the weight of responsibility he carries, to show the world the reality of these girls' lives. The girls themselves look tired and worn, but there’s also a quiet strength in their eyes. The grays and browns are so muted, but it allows their presence to shine through. I think of other photographers like Jacob Riis, also documenting the lives of the working class. There is a whole lineage of seeing that comes through work like this. Hine’s image is a reminder of the power of photography to bring about change, but it also makes me think about the labor that goes into making art—the artist's labor, the subject's labor, and how those things reflect each other.