Lewis Hine
Lewis Hine was born in Wisconsin USA in 1874, and combined his love of photography with his interest in social issues to capture and record the reality of life. His first photographic project was in helping his students document the arrival of immigrants at Ellis Island in the hope that they would develop a respect and regard for vulnerable people. The images that Hine captured of the new arrivals showed them in a dignified and sympathetic way and it revealed to him the power photography has in educating people. He then took up a position with the Child Labour Committee, and while in disguise, photographed children in the factories where they worked. This was at a time in history of great industrial change and his documentation of the appalling conditions which children were made to work under was instrumental in the setting up of child labour laws. Hine also photographed ordinary people at work during the construction of the Empire State Building as well as in mines, textile mills and factories. He was able to capture the workers as they skilfully and knowledgeably interacted with their machines to keep them working productively. He showed the pride the ordinary person had in their work which fuelled their spirit to provide a better life for themselves and their families. In his images Hine demonstrated his admiration for the workers and by capturing this influenced the viewers to think respectfully of them too. Using various techniques in his images he presented his subjects in a dignified way, which focused on their dedication and skilfulness showing the pride that they took in their work. His images showed the reality of working life and captivated viewer’s attention while at the same time educated and influenced their opinions. I have selected a few of his images below which illustrate how he achieved this.
This photo ‘Power House Mechanic’ was taken by Hine in 1920. I chose it because it promotes the role of man in controlling the powerful pieces of machinery that drives production in factories. It demonstrates how man and machinery can work in harmony and underlines the importance of the man’s skill in directing the tasks the machines do. In the image a mechanic has been carefully posed working at a Pennsylvania Power plant, he is bent forward, gripping a large wrench and is in the process of tightening a nut on a steam turbine. This image was from his Powerhouse images which formed part of his ‘Men at Work’ series 1920-1940: Dignity of Labor’. The man is physically strong as can be seen by the muscles on his bare arms which are taut as he strains with his task. There is also a determined look on the man’s face as he goes about his work. The worker is positioned centrally in the image and so his from is almost entirely contained within the circular shape of the large turbine. In the background the huge pipes that connect into the turbine can be seen as well as other smaller pipes, taps and cogs.
Hine has posed the model for this photo; I know this as he has also taken images of other models in similar poses in front of the turbine. But for this particular image he has selected someone who looked quite muscular and masculine. This was because Hine wanted to portray the physical strength of man in the image. By enclosing the worker within the circular shape of the turbine he combined the man and machine together showing them working perfectly as one. It is as if the physical strength of the man is as powerful as the strength of the massive machine, and his skill was needed to control and direct its work. In composing the image this way Hine was trying to redress the balance in stature between workers in industry and the enormous machinery they operated. As well as demonstrating his admiration and respect for the worker by underlining the strength and skill involved in the work.
This image by Hine was taken in 1937 as part of his Work Progress Administration (WPA) National Research Project 1922-1944, which focused on how industrialisation has affected employment. Hine took many images of women working in factories but I particularly thought that this one clearly demonstrated the skilfulness of the work she is performing. It was taken in Camden New Jersey at the RCA Victor Radio factory and shows a woman winding coils which are a component for the radios. She is standing over her equipment and is concentrating on her task. The woman’s form has been placed vertically to the left of the frame using the rule of thirds. This position brings balance to the image as the equipment she is using is in front of her and she is looking towards it, so directing the viewer’s attention to what she is doing. The equipment she is using looks fairly complicated as there are a number of coils connected together with wires. The workers hands are in the centre of the frame and are carrying out an intricate task involving working on a very small coil. Due to the depth of field the camera has been set at, the background is blurred preventing attention being taken from the woman and her task. However the outline of similar pieces of equipment with cogs and coils can be seen so it is obvious she is in a factory setting. The image conveys to the viewer that the woman operating the equipment is skilful and good at her job. She also looks content in her work as she concentrates on it showing that she takes pride in her work and does not find it boring. This image conveys the respect Hine has for the woman as she expertly contributes to the production of radios.
This
is one of many images Hines took during the construction of the Empire State
building. This particular image was taken in 1930 and shows an ironworker
perched sitting on the end of a large metal beam and is tightening a bolt with
a spanner. The workman does not appear to be afraid of heights as he is very
high up, approx. 1440 feet, as Hine has captured in the background a view of the
streets of New York City far below him. The Empire State Building would become
the highest building in the world when it was completed and Hine’s images show
the daring bravery of the men who build it who he called his ‘sky boys’. In the
image Hine has made use of dark and light shadows to create contrast within the
image, with the worker and the iron beams being dark and the rest of the image
much lighter. This separates the image making the viewer focus on each part in
turn. The thick vertical lines of the beams and the tall buildings in the
background add the feeling of power and strength to the image and this is
associated with the worker. In addition he
has used depth of field to slightly blur the buildings in the background so that
the viewer’s eye is not drawn too much to the lighter region. Hine himself would have had to get himself into
these rather dangerous vantage points to capture the images of the daredevil workers,
showing his dedication in wanting to capture these brave men at work. By
showing these men risking their lives on a daily basis, without using proper safety
ropes, Hine portrays them in an almost heroic light as they change the landscape
of New York City forever.
This is another image Hine took during the
construction of the Empire State building. I think this image conveys the
massive scale of the construction project and therefore the technical expertise
of the workers. The image focuses on an individual floor of the building which
is still under construction. The workers there are taking a break so no work is
being carried out. This allows the viewers to focus on the work that has been
done. There are many vertical metal beams supporting the building and this visually
illustrates the power and the strength of the building. The perspective of the shot creates
converging lines which draws the viewer’s eye through the frame and therefore
reach through it to the other side of the building. This allows the viewer to visually comprehend
the size of the construction project. There are also horizontal lines in the
beams in the floor and the pipes in the ceiling and these add a sense of
harmony to the image. A man is sitting on a barrel having a break and reading a
paper and he acts as a point of reference to compare the scale of the building
to. He also adds a feeling of calm in this relaxed position and the hollow barrel
he is sitting on directs the viewer’s eye to follow through it to the end of the
building. There is also two further workers taking a break on the right making
the converging lines off centre, this prevents the image being boring so that
we take the time to look at what he is showing us. In this image Hine
illustrates the high regard he holds these fearless workers who have skilfully
undertaken this massive construction project.
Influence
I was influenced by Lewis Hine’s work as I planning this image. This was
because he captured his admiration and respect for ordinary workers in his
images and I wish to emulate this in my project on the staff who work at the dog rescue
centre. By doing this, like Hines, I will also be influencing and encouraging
others to think respectfully of the workers too. In Hine’s images he focused
attention on the worker undertaking their task to demonstrate that he
considered it important and respected the person for their work. This image was
particularly influenced by his images taken in the textile mills and in the
construction of the Empire State Building where he used converging lines to
focus attention on his subjects. In the image I have used the converging
lines of the walls, ceiling and floor of the narrow kennel corridor to lead the
viewer’s eye down the corridor to the worker performing the physically tiring
task of scrubbing and disinfecting the floor. The fluorescent strip lights on
the ceiling also forms highlighted lines pointing towards the worker, so
directing attention to them. Additionally the rectangular wall at the end of
the corridor acts as a frame around the subject focusing further attention on
them and highlighting the importance of their task. By focusing on the worker
performing this physically demanding task of keeping the kennel floor clean and
sterile and so helping to prevent the spread of bacteria and viruses I hope to
demonstrate my respect for them and their dedication in performing this
important task at the Centre.
Summary
Lewis Hine realised the power photography has in influencing
people, and by capturing images of ordinary people at work as they skilfully and
knowledgeably went about their work, he demonstrated his admiration and respect
for them. Many of Hine’s images involved the use of heavy machinery or
difficult working conditions such as at the height of the Empire State Building. However,
as my project is based at a dog rescue centre, my workers will not be using
such large equipment or working at heights. I will however be able to capture
images of them using contemporary technical equipment such as computers, printers,
debit/credit card readers and tag engraving machinery. I will also show them
having to control powerful dogs, work long hours in all weather conditions, administer medications, and
perform physically tiring tasks such as scrubbing floors, and dealing with the
huge amount of work involved with caring for a large number of dogs and other
animals. By doing this and focusing attention on the worker and the task they
are doing I will highlight the skill of the worker and the pride they take in
their work. My images are also influenced by Hine in that his images captured
and recorded the reality of working life in that the subjects were genuine
workers performing their normal jobs. This is what I will be doing in my
project as I capture the workers at Mutts going about their normal working day.
I intend to capture the skilfulness, the dedication involved, the physically
demanding work and the pride and enjoyment the workers take in their work caring
for animals and aim to present this as respectfully as Hine has done in his
work .
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