Plot Summary: The photo-essay is a story about the photographer Levis Hine and his efforts to reveal the harshness of child labor. In 1904 Lewis Hine became a school photographer and photographed school activities. At the time, he also began to take photographs of immigrants in Ellis Island. When the National Child Labor Committee offered him a full time job as an investigative photographer, he decided to use the camera in its campaign to outlaw child labor. He traveled constantly and depicted underage children, often five or six years old, who worked in every part of the country and in some of the nation’s most important industries. He was often refused to enter the factory and threatened by the factory police. In many places children were…show more content… The story of children working in all types of industries: in coal mines, in meatpacking houses, in textile mills and on farms. There are also pictures of children polishing boots and images of newsboys photographed near the Brooklyn Bridge at 1:00 a.m. All photographs are detailed with precise facts and figures. All expose the harsh reality of the inhumane working conditions children in America suffered at the beginning of twentieth century.
Personal response: This is a wonderful book describing the chilly working conditions of children in the U.S. in the 1800/1900. Freedman emerged with an array of shocking photographs and stories of children whose testimonies will move the readers. I admire L. Hine for his dedication and sacrifice; he often exposed his life to document unjust labor conditions. The results of his backbreaking work were a powerful weapon in “the crusade against child labor” and I hope they will inspire many to speak up for what is right.
Extension Ideas:
• The teacher explains that this same type of mistreatment occurs in many countries throughout the world. The students see the map/data showing how the widespread this problem is and asks what can be done to help/protect/support vulnerable