I like this graphic because it puts the symbols of manual labor in Labor Day.
In the early 1900s, Lewis Hine left his job as a schoolteacher to work as a photographer for the National Child Labor Committee, investigating and documenting child labor in the United States. As a sociologist, Hine was an early believer in the power of photography to document work conditions and help bring about change. He traveled the country, going to fields, factories, and mines -- sometimes working undercover -- to take pictures of kids as young as four years old being put to work. Be prepared to see some very powerful archival photos.
My Sunday started out cold and rainy but it is bright, sunny, and very pleasant as I write this post at 5:00 in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of this long Labor Day weekend. xo
Welcome to the Lewis Hine Project ™, an amazing journey through 100 years of American history. From 1908 until 1924, Lewis Hine took over 5,000 photographs of American child laborers. His compelling pictures helped to persuade legislators and the general public to support laws prohibiting child labor. All the photos, with Mr. Hine’s captions, are posted on the Library of Congress website. Since 2005, I have been identifying the children, tracking down and interviewing living descendants, and writing stories about how the lives of these children turned out.
