Lewis Hine

by Mary Panzer

Published 14 July 2002
Lewis Hine (1874-1940) took up photography to call attention to social injustice and to campaign for change. This respect for the exploited and oppressed individual established him as an embodiment of American values. His images celebrated the dignity of working people in the modern world and gave a voice to the ordinary men, women and children who did not, or could not, speak for themselves.