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Lewis Hine

Lewis Hine (1874–1940) is widely recognized as an American original whose work has been cited as a precursor to modernist and documentary photography. While certain of Hine's photographic projects—such as on immigration, child labor, New York City, and the building of the Empire State Building—are well known, few exhibitions have considered his entire life's work.

The aim of Lewis Hine is to provide a broad overview of his photographic career, using supplementary material to situate the photographs in the contexts of their original consumption while providing a platform for reconsidering the work today—both historically and artistically. The exhibition includes Hine's earliest work from Ellis Island (1905) and extensive selections from every major project that followed, including "Hull House," "American Red Cross in Europe," and "Men at Work." The exhibition is curated by Alison Nordström, Curator-at-Large at George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film, which holds the largest and most comprehensive archive of Hine's work.

Lewis Hine, New York City Streets
Lewis Hine
Lewis W. Hine, Street scene, New York City, ca. 1910. Transfer from Photo League Lewis Hine Memorial Committee; ex-collection of Corydon Hine. © George Eastman House Collection.
Power House Mechanic 1920
Lewis Hine
Lewis W. Hine, Mechanic at Steam Pump in Electric Power House, 1920. Transfer from Photo League Lewis Hine Memorial Committee; ex?collection of Corydon Hine. © George Eastman House Collection.
Newspaper boys looking at something off screen.
Lewis W. Hine, Midnight at the Brooklyn Bridge, 1906. George Eastman House Collection, transfer from Photo League Lewis Hine Memorial Committee; ex-collection of Corydon Hine.
A construction worker dancing off of a cable high above NYC.
Lewis Hine
Lewis W. Hine, Icarus Atop Empire State Building, 1931. Transfer from Photo League Lewis Hine Memorial Committee; ex?collection of Corydon Hine. © George Eastman House Collection.
A young boy leaning against a door.
Lewis Hine
Lewis W. Hine, Waiting For the Dispensary to Open. Hull House District, Chicago, 1910. Transfer from Photo League Lewis Hine Memorial Committee; ex- collection of Corydon Hine. © George Eastman House Collection.
Candy worker from the turn of the century.
Lewis Hine
Lewis W. Hine, Candy Worker, New York, ca. 1925. Transfer from Photo League Lewis Hine Memorial Committee; ex-collection of Corydon Hine. © George Eastman House Collection.
A black family from the 19th century reading together.
Lewis W. Hine, Black family by fireplace, 1920. Transfer from Photo League Lewis Hine Memorial Committee; ex-collection of Corydon Hine. © George Eastman House Collection.
Italian family on a ferry boat to NYC.
Lewis Hine
Lewis W. Hine, Italian family on ferry boat, leaving Ellis Island, 1905. Transfer from Photo League Lewis Hine Memorial Committee; ex-collection of Corydon Hine. © George Eastman House Collection.
An ICP exhibit.

Museum

1133 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY
Oct 04, 2013 - Jan 19, 2014
Press Release
Review: The New York Times

Special Thanks

Lewis Hine was organized by the George Eastman House with support from the Terra Foundation in collaboration with Fundación Mapfre, Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson, and Nederlands Fotomuseum. The ICP presentation was supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.