Lewis Wickes Hine
American, American, 1874 - 1940
Sociologist and photographer Lewis Hine documented injustice and promoted social change in the United States. Hine’s photographs of children working in factories and mines were instrumental in triggering child labor laws during the Industrial Revolution.
Hine was born in 1874 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. In 1905, he began documenting the experiences of immigrants entering the United States through Ellis Island, just outside New York City. Hine later traveled throughout the US, photographing working-class children and families for the National Child Labor Committee.
Hine’s empathetic portraits captured the brutal working conditions of the period and helped spur federal regulations. Thanks to his work, Congress passed the Keating-Owens Act of 1916, establishing minimum age requirements for children working in mines and factories. Hine died in 1940 at age 66.
Explore Selected Works
See all 13 works of artArtwork

Soldier Thrown in Air
Soldier Thrown in Air
Lewis Wickes Hine · 1917 · gelatin silver print · Accession ID 1995.36.90
Artwork

Title from caption on object: "Read All About It!"
Title from caption on object: "Read All About It!"
Lewis Wickes Hine · April 1912 · gelatin silver print · Accession ID 2018.177.277
Artwork

At the Close of the Day, Pennsylvania
At the Close of the Day, Pennsylvania
Lewis Wickes Hine · January 7, 1911 · gelatin silver print · Accession ID 2018.145.9
Artwork

Addie Card, 12 years old. Spinner in cotton mill, North Pownal, Vermont
Addie Card, 12 years old. Spinner in cotton mill, North Pownal, Vermont
Lewis Wickes Hine · 1910 · gelatin silver print · Accession ID 2014.164.1
Artwork

Hartford Newsboys
Hartford Newsboys
Lewis Wickes Hine · 1909 · gelatin silver print · Accession ID 2001.128.38
Artwork

Mery Horn, a hunchback condition aggravated by the heavy load of papers she carried. Hartford, Connecticut, March 1909
Mery Horn, a hunchback condition aggravated by the heavy load of papers she carried. Hartford, Connecticut, March 1909
Lewis Wickes Hine · March 1909 · gelatin silver print · Accession ID 2015.19.4164
Artwork

Wagon boy or "tail boy" helping to load the wagon
Wagon boy or "tail boy" helping to load the wagon
Lewis Wickes Hine · c. 1914 · gelatin silver print · Accession ID 2013.143.4
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8:30 P.M. Group of newsboys selling at the depot, Hartford, Connecticut. Smallest boy 11 years old.
8:30 P.M. Group of newsboys selling at the depot, Hartford, Connecticut. Smallest boy 11 years old.
Lewis Wickes Hine · March 1909 · gelatin silver print · Accession ID 2018.206.13
Artwork

Tony Casale, "Bologna," 11 years old been selling newspapers for 4 years, Hartford, Connecticut, March 1909
Tony Casale, "Bologna," 11 years old been selling newspapers for 4 years, Hartford, Connecticut, March 1909
Lewis Wickes Hine · March 1909 · gelatin silver print · Accession ID 2015.19.4166
Artwork

John Pento, 14 years old, Daniel and Angelo Pento, 7 years old, selling newspapers, Hartford, Connecticut
John Pento, 14 years old, Daniel and Angelo Pento, 7 years old, selling newspapers, Hartford, Connecticut
Lewis Wickes Hine · March 1909 · gelatin silver print · Accession ID 2015.19.4165