Lunch Time, W. Va. Glass Works
Lewis Hine
1908
AC 1994.144
This photograph was taken by Lewis Hine, an American photographer active particularly in the 1920s and 1930s. Because of his background as a sociologist and reformer, his work was not only intended to portray something beautiful but impart a moral suasion on its viewers for change. This particular photograph comes out of a set taken in 1908 on behalf of the National Child Labor Committee. Through this series, Hine hoped to aid the fight to end child labor. Some of his more famous photos in this series portray the children in an even more crushing light: young boys with dusty faces next to heavy machinery, young girls who look worn beyond their years.
This photograph on the other hand, seems a bit less raw. What I enjoy about it is how it manages to be incredibly beautiful while simultaneously imparting its message. Perhaps though, the aesthetic, formal beauty of the photograph overwhelms the social reform element. I cannot help but admire the perfect composition of the photograph -- the straight field of straight, parallel lines with the boys framed perfectly in the middle -- while forgetting that it shows two young boys on break from what must be backbreaking work. Hine would probably not appreciate my sentiment, but perhaps he should have made a less beautiful photo then? Let me know your thoughts on the balance between these two contrasting features in the work!
For more information on Lewis Hine, you can check out this incredibly comprehensive website on his works:
http://www.morningsonmaplestreet.com/aboutlewishine.html
And more of Hine's photography is owned by the Five College museums, including his Men at Work Holyoke series at Mount Holyoke College. The city has a long, beautiful, and heartbreaking history as an industrial town that Hine had the opportunity to capture.
Well, that's all for now, see you next week.
-Alex
I do agree that this scene is less shocking than some of Hine's other photographs of child laborers. However, I think here Hine has purposefully caught these two children at the only moment during their workday when they have the chance to act like children. See the boyish grin, the curious looks into the camera? I think Hine recognized the impact it could make to reinforce that these child laborers were just that: children and laborers.
ReplyDeleteI am also curious about whose hand is holding open the door? And what does the graffiti on the other door add to the photograph, was it drawn by these boys, another reminder of that they are still young?
Your reaction to the photograph, Alex, embodies the problematic element of social documentary photography. On the one hand, Hine strives to expose the suffering of these boys, yet this photograph distances us, the viewer, from their plight by making them into aesthetic objects. When I took my first glance at this photo, my initial reaction was to appreciate the beauty of the composition instead of to immediately think towards the labor that the boys endure. Hine's photography allows me to view the scene as art, which perhaps detracts from the moral aspect. However, if this photograph is presented as part of a series of the more raw photos depicting child labor, it can have the effect of giving the boys more dimension. That even these child laborers experience moments like the one captured is a refreshing testament to youthful innocence.
ReplyDelete