PHOTOGRAPHS
Hine, Lewis Wickes
U.S. (1874 - 1940)
"Boys Wanted" sign. West 19 [th] Street, New York, New York
1916
Gelatin silver print
4 3/4 x 6 11/16 in. (12.1 x 17 cm) image size; 5 x 7 in. (12.7 x 17.8 cm) sheet size
Monsen Study Collection of Photography, gift of Joseph and Elaine Monsen
FA 92.14

This photograph was taken by Lewis Hine, now famous for his extensive photographs of child laborers at the turn of the century. His work led to the enactment of child labor laws and permanent change in the workplace. This photograph is well framed compositionally and takes in he beauty of the railing's line; however, when we note the crop marks Hine made on the right side of the photograph, we immediately know more about the artist's intent: he was most interested in the "Wanted, Small Boys" sign, not the composition." -- Label copy from Inspiring Vision: Looking at Photography, July 31,1997 to October 19,1997.

In 1908, Lewis Hine was hired by the National Child Labor Committee as a staff photographer. Traveling across the East Coast and southern states, Hine documented working children in fields, mines, mills, and canneries. Although laws had existed against child labor since the late nineteenth century, many industries ignored these regulations and exploited poor children. In this photograph from 1916, Hine captures a box manufacturer’s sign advertising for small boys on the streets of New York.

Lewis Hine, a photographer, sociologist, and humanist, is best known for his insightful portraits of immigrants at Ellis Island and his unflinching views of housing and labor conditions in the United States. Studying and eventually teaching at the Ethical Culture School in New York City, Hine infused his humanist concerns into a style of documentary photography that set the standard for delivering a social message through his medium. Hine’s photographs and photo essays aided reforms for child labor, and contributed onto the establishment of the Federal Wage and Hour Law in 1941. (Anthony T. Troncale, “About Lewis Wickes Hine,” http://www.nypl.org/research/chss/spe/art/photo/hinex/empire/biography.html). -- Label copy for 150 Works of Art, October 1, 2005 to February 26, 2006.