Untitled (Workman)
c. 1915
Medium
Gelatin silver print
Dimensions
Image/paper: 16 × 11.2 cm (6 5/16 × 4 7/16 in.); Mount: 30.4 × 25.3 cm (12 × 10 in.)
Classification
gelatin silver (developing-out-paper) pr
Department
Photography and Media
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
143406
Art Historical Context
Lewis Wickes Hine’s “Untitled (Workman)” captures the quiet dignity of an industrial laborer around 1915, a period when rapid urbanization and factory work defined American life. Hine, a sociologist turned photographer, used his camera to document the human side of labor during the Progressive Era. His images often highlighted the conditions of workers, contributing to public awareness and calls for reform in child labor laws and workplace safety. The gelatin silver print medium was revolutionary at the time, offering sharp detail and tonal range that brought immediacy to Hine’s subjects. Her...
About the Artist
Lewis Wickes Hine · 1874–1940
Lewis Wickes Hine (1874–1940) was born on September 26 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, to Douglas and Sarah Hine, who ran a coffeehouse and restaurant on Main Street. After his father's accidental death from a self-inflicted gunshot wound around 1892, the teenage Hine supported his widowed mother and sisters through various jobs while pursuing education. He attended Oshkosh Normal School, where he met ment...