Voting Station

Lewis Hine

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Photographer

The Resume

    (September 26, 1874-November 3, 1940)
    Born in Oshkosh, Wisconsin
    Sociologist and photographer
    Photographer for the National Child Labor Committee (NCLC), Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), and Works Progress Administration (WPA)
    Documented immigrants at Ellis Island, child laborers, Red Cross relief work in Europe after World War I, and the construction of the Empire State Building

Why he might be annoying:

    He admitted he had no explanation for why he was chosen for his first photography position, serving as 'class photographer' while a student at the University of Chicago: 'I had never had a camera in my hand. '
    The NCLC leadership was initially indifferent to his work, considering photographs to be a distraction from the data the organization had gathered.
    During his last years, he had trouble getting work, lost his house, and wound up on welfare.

Why he might not be annoying:

    To get the best vantage points while photographing the construction of the Empire State Building, he would be swung out in a specially designed basket, a thousand feet above street level.
    While documenting child labor, he was frequently threatened with violence from factory guards and foremen.
    During a twelve month period working for the NCLC, he traveled over 12,000 miles.
    After the federal government placed restrictions on the employment of children under the age of 14 (1916), NCLC Chair Owen Lovejoy wrote, 'The work Hines did for this reform was more responsible than all other efforts in bringing the need to public attention.'

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 6 Votes: 50.0% Annoying