Tuesday 05 January 2010

Lewis Wickes Hine: The Empire State Building

The story of U.S photographer Lewis Wickes Hine is a tragic one. Hine spent much of his life documenting the economic and social turmoil of early 20th century America; by the time he died in New York in 1940, he was living in poverty, a virtual unknown.

A worker at the edge of a platform, looking north

Hine campaigned strongly for social reform, and worked for a time as an art director and photographer with the National Child Labor Committee, where his images were used to highlight the plight of child workers; he also worked for a time with the Red Cross, documenting the relief efforts in Europe after World War I.

Worker on Empire State building, signaling the hookman

However, In 1930, Hine was commissioned to document the construction of the Empire State Building in New York City. An article by Anthony Troncale at the New York Public Library tells us about the methods Hine used to capture this massive project:

“Taking many of the risks the construction workers endured, Hine photographed the workers in precarious positions while they secured the iron and steel framework of the structure. In order to obtain the best vantage points, Hine was swung out in a specially designed basket 1,000 feet above Fifth Avenue.”

These incredible and sometimes terrifying images are a fascinating record of the birth of one of the world's most famous buildings. You can see the full collection, including much of Hine's other work, at the New York Public Library photography collection site.