B & W Photographer Lewis W. Hine

So I know you've probably seen those old photographs of the working men on a structural beam suspended in the air, right? Those were the works of Lewis W. Hine, homegrown in Wisconsin right here in the US of A. He was considered one of the 'fathers of investigative photojournalism' known for his portraits of immigrants on Ellis Island and especially of child workers in factories and coal mines. He, himself, worked in a factory for 13 hours a day, taking over for his father who died at an early age. He spent a large portion of his life fighting child labor.

He traveled through many of the states on the East Coast sometimes under the premise of a fire inspector in order to gain access to document the use of child labor, and used his photojournalism to expose the mistreatment and protect the children. He traveled to Europe to document war refugees for the American Red Cross. Not until the late 1980's were these photographic images identified as his in the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Getting back to the suspended photos, Lewis Hine took on the assignment of documenting the steelworkers building the Empire State Building. After that huge undertaking, he continued his pursuit of social documentary type themes.

When I was a young girl, though I was 'attracted' to photography, I didn't pursue that interest as it were. Looking back, I wished someone would have told me to follow my dreams. My sisters and I were encouraged, but more toward the business field in order to support ourselves, which was a good thing. But I guess I'll always wonder what I could or would have done if I'd pursued that one particular dream. It would have been a good time - the 60's - I mean I could have been a contender! I could have been Linda McCartney!!