Lewis Hine. The work Hine did for [child labor reform] was more responsible than all other efforts in bringing the need to public attention. The evils were intellectually but not emotionally recognized until his skill, vision and artistic finesse focused the camera intelligently on these social problems. - National Child Labor Committee Artist Bio Posthumously renowned for his groundbreaking social documentary work, Lewis Hine spent the majority of his life photographing America’s social issues: immigration, child labor, and the plight of the working man. His photographs of immigrants at Ellis Island treated the new, often degraded, citizens with grace, photographing his subjects in more formal poses instead of the “huddled masses” that appeared in other works. In the words of Lou Stettner, “Hine portrayed [the immigrants] for us and for history as solemn and dignified carriers of a sophisticated, rich and varied cultures from the Old World.”
Lewis Hine on Masters of Photography.