Lewis W. Hine

Lewis W. Hine (1874–1940) was an American sociologist and documentary photographer whose powerful images exposed child labor conditions and immigrant experiences in early 20th-century America. His work for the National Child Labor Committee became instrumental in reforming labor laws, and his iconic photographs of workers constructing the Empire State Building remain among the most celebrated images in American photography. Hine's socially conscious approach established documentary photography as a legitimate and influential art form.