Lewis Hine

At the turn of the 19th century, sociologist Lewis Hine cemented his identity as one of America’s most influential early photographers with his photographs of child laborers’ exploitation in factories, galvanizing the implementation of child labor laws in the United States. Because higher-ups in factories wanted child labor to remain hidden from lobbyists and American voters, Hine’s photographic interventions were often met with threats of violence and even death. He therefore often entered factories disguised as a worker, a true innovator in investigative journalistic photography.