Photojournalism- Catalyst for Social Reform

The Impact of the Works of The Impact of the Works of

Lewis Wickes HineLewis Wickes Hine

Jacob Riis, and Dorothea LangeJacob Riis, and Dorothea Lange

Turn of the Century Conditions:

Industrial Revolution in America brings:Industrial Revolution in America brings: Quick assembly line production systemsQuick assembly line production systems More plentiful jobs in factories and millsMore plentiful jobs in factories and mills Jobs for people of all agesJobs for people of all ages Population growth for areas with factoriesPopulation growth for areas with factories Crowded living conditionsCrowded living conditions Less emphasis on educationLess emphasis on education

As a Result…

People lived in crowded tenements People lived in crowded tenements (apartment buildings with few facilities)(apartment buildings with few facilities)

Illiteracy grew because more and younger Illiteracy grew because more and younger children workedchildren worked

No labor regulations on # of hours worked No labor regulations on # of hours worked or the minimum age of workersor the minimum age of workers

No laws governing working conditionsNo laws governing working conditions

The Need for Reform

People saw the effects People saw the effects of the Industrial of the Industrial Revolution on Revolution on American society and American society and realized that the labor realized that the labor practices needed to be practices needed to be revealed to the general revealed to the general public so thatpublic so thatimprovements would improvements would come.come.

Several authors wrtoe Several authors wrtoe books about the need books about the need for social reform, but for social reform, but it was not until Jacob it was not until Jacob Riis took pictures to Riis took pictures to augment his writings augment his writings that people began to that people began to really understand really understand society’s need for society’s need for reform.reform.

Jacob Riis

Jacob Riis was a Jacob Riis was a Danish immigrant who Danish immigrant who lived just as the lived just as the immigrants whose immigrants whose plight he wrote about plight he wrote about in his book in his book How The How The Other Half Lives.Other Half Lives.

His experiences led His experiences led him to empathize with him to empathize with others.others.

To read more about To read more about Jacob Riis’s life, visit Jacob Riis’s life, visit the site: the site: http :// www.masters-ohttp :// www.masters-of-photography.com/R/f-photography.com/R/riisriis//riisriis_articles1.html_articles1.html

Jacob Riis & Working Conditions

Riis, Jacob. “Bohemian Riis, Jacob. “Bohemian Cigar Makers at Work in Cigar Makers at Work in Their Tenement.” 1890. Their Tenement.” 1890. The Jacob A. Riis The Jacob A. Riis Collection of the Museum Collection of the Museum of the City of New York. of the City of New York. [http://www.mcny.org/m3[http://www.mcny.org/m31.htm] [90.13.4.150] (June 1.htm] [90.13.4.150] (June 24, 2001).24, 2001).

Jacob Riis & Playground Reform

Riis, Jacob. “What the Riis, Jacob. “What the Boys Learn on Their Boys Learn on Their Street Playground.” 1902. Street Playground.” 1902. Jacob Riis Collection in Jacob Riis Collection in Masters of Photography. Masters of Photography. [http://masters-of-[http://masters-of-photography.com/R/riis/riiphotography.com/R/riis/riis-street-playground.html] s-street-playground.html] [no number available] [no number available] (June 24, 2001).(June 24, 2001).

Jacob Riis & Living Conditions

Riis, Jacob. “Hell’s Riis, Jacob. “Hell’s Kitchen and Kitchen and Sebastopol.”Sebastopol.” How The How The Other Half LivesOther Half Lives, , Jacob Riis. 1890. Jacob Riis. 1890. [http://www.cis.yale.e[http://www.cis.yale.edu/amstud/inforev/riis/du/amstud/inforev/riis/chap1.html] [no chap1.html] [no number available] number available] (June 29, 2001.)(June 29, 2001.)

Lewis Wickes Hine

Hine worked for the Hine worked for the National Child Labor National Child Labor Committee and took Committee and took photographs for the photographs for the purpose of affecting purpose of affecting social reform. He social reform. He often took notes about often took notes about his subjects, noting his subjects, noting their names and the their names and the years they’d worked.years they’d worked.

To see more images that To see more images that Hine took for the National Hine took for the National Child Labor Committee, Child Labor Committee, visit : visit : http://http://lcweblcweb.loc..loc.govgov/r/print//r/print/collcoll/207- b.html/207- b.html at at the Library of Congress.the Library of Congress.

Lewis Wickes Hine & Child Labor Hine, Lewis Wickes. “William Hine, Lewis Wickes. “William

Paralla, 313 Second Street, SW, Paralla, 313 Second Street, SW, Washington, DC, a seven year Washington, DC, a seven year old newsboy, standing on street old newsboy, standing on street with newspapers.” April 1912. with newspapers.” April 1912. National Child Labor National Child Labor Committee Collection Committee Collection Photographs by Lewis Hine. Photographs by Lewis Hine. [http://lcweb.loc.gov/r/print/coll[http://lcweb.loc.gov/r/print/coll/207- b.html] [LC-USZ62-/207- b.html] [LC-USZ62-92163] (June 24, 2001).92163] (June 24, 2001).

Lewis Wickes Hine

Hine, Lewis Wickes. Hine, Lewis Wickes. “Shrimp and Oyster “Shrimp and Oyster Worker, Biloxi, MS.” Lot Worker, Biloxi, MS.” Lot 7476, canneries volume, 7476, canneries volume, 1984. Library of Congress 1984. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Prints and Photographs Illustrated Guide, Portfolio Illustrated Guide, Portfolio 1. 1. [http://lcweb.loc.gov/rr/pri[http://lcweb.loc.gov/rr/print/guide/pp7476.jpg] [LC-nt/guide/pp7476.jpg] [LC-USZ6-1306] & [LC-USZ6-1306] & [LC-USZ62-55649] (June 29, USZ62-55649] (June 29, 2001).2001).

Dorothea Lange

Lange is the best Lange is the best known photographer known photographer of the Depression Era. of the Depression Era. Her work depicts the Her work depicts the economically economically depressed common depressed common people of the time. people of the time. The emotions evoked The emotions evoked are the strength of the are the strength of the images.images.

To see her work, visit To see her work, visit http://www.http://www.museumcamuseumca.org/.org/at the Museum of at the Museum of California in Oakland California in Oakland and search for and search for Dorothea Lange in Dorothea Lange in their collection.their collection.

Dorothea Lange & the Depression Lange, Dorothea. Lange, Dorothea.

“Destitute peapickers in “Destitute peapickers in California, a 32 year old California, a 32 year old mother of seven children. mother of seven children. February 1936.” Library February 1936.” Library of Congress Farm Security of Congress Farm Security Administration Collection. Administration Collection. [http://lcweb.loc.g [http://lcweb.loc.g ov/rr/print/128_migm.htmov/rr/print/128_migm.html] [LCUSF34-9058-C] l] [LCUSF34-9058-C] (June 29, 2001).(June 29, 2001).

Dorothea Lange

Lange, Dorothea. “White Lange, Dorothea. “White Angel Breadline.” 1933. Angel Breadline.” 1933. Dorothea Lange Dorothea Lange Collection, Oakland Collection, Oakland Museum of California. Museum of California. [http://www.museumca.or[http://www.museumca.org/global/art/collections_lag/global/art/collections_lange_repro.html] [no nge_repro.html] [no number available] (June number available] (June 29, 2001).29, 2001).

Dorothea Lange

Lange, Dorothea. “Ditched, Lange, Dorothea. “Ditched, Stalled, and Stranded. San Stalled, and Stranded. San Joaquim Valley, CA.” Joaquim Valley, CA.” 1935. Dorothea Lange 1935. Dorothea Lange Collection. Oakland Collection. Oakland Museum of CA. Museum of CA. [http://www.masters-of-[http://www.masters-of-photography.com/L/lange/lphotography.com/L/lange/lange_ditched_stalled_stranange_ditched_stalled_stranded_full.html] [no number ded_full.html] [no number available] (June30, 2001).available] (June30, 2001).

Dorothea Lange

Lange, Dorothea. “The Lange, Dorothea. “The only home of a only home of a depression routed depression routed family of nine.” 1936. family of nine.” 1936. [http://lcweb2.loc.gov/[http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ndlpedu/lessoncgi-bin/ndlpedu/lessons/98/dime/photos.htmls/98/dime/photos.html] [LC-USF34-009751-] [LC-USF34-009751-E] (July 3, 2001).E] (July 3, 2001).

And the Question Is….

How will YOU use How will YOU use photography to photography to document an area in document an area in our society that needs our society that needs to be changed?to be changed?