Hine, Lewis

Hine, Lewis (Wicks)

(1874–1940) photographer, social reformer; born in Oshkosh, Wis. Trained as a sociologist, he used photographs to inspire reform. In 1905 he documented immigrants on Ellis Island, publishing his photos with his own text. His work as the official photographer for the National Child Labor Committee (1911–16) influenced passage of the child labor laws. Chief photographer for the Works Progress Administration (1936), he documented the Tennessee Valley Authority project.

The Cambridge Dictionary of American Biography, by John S. Bowman. Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995. Reproduced with permission.