Lewis Hine's Labors

These searing photographs helped ban child labor in America — until now

He arrived at the coal mines, textile mills and industrial factories dressed in a three-piece suit. He wooed those in charge, asking to be let in. He was just a humble Bible salesman, he claimed, who wanted to spread the good word to the laborers inside.

What Lewis Hine actually wanted was to take photos of those laborers — and show the world what it looked like when children were put to work.

Around the turn of the 20th century, at least 18 percent of children between the ages of 10 and 15 were employed. Hine’s searing images of those children remade the public perception of child labor and inspired the laws to ban it.

Now, conservative lawmakers in a handful of states are seeking to relax child labor protections.

[ From The Washington Post ]