3 Review(s)

Filling a void, this is the first full-length biography of early twentieth century photographer and social reformer, Lewis Hine. Although Hine's name is fairly well known to people who have knowledge of American photography and the Progressive reform movement, in a wider sense he remains largely unknown. Drawing from the existing literature, [Lewis Hine] also includes primary research, not published until now, including information gleaned from surviving family members. Replete with over sixty-five images, some well-known, others not, the author paints a more personalized, up-close picture of Lewis Hine than has hitherto been achieved. Lewis Hine did not live in a vacuum. Therefore, within the broader depiction of Hine's life, the author places him historically, considering his life from the perspective of his times. Thus the book is also a general history of the first four decades of the last century and is particularly useful to readers whose interests include Progressivism, photography, the working class, education, immigrants, and more. In doing so, Lewis Hine and the American Progressive Movement achieves a clear link between many of the issues and causes dear to Hine and fellow Progressives and numerous issues and causes of topical interest today.