http://www.ourdocuments.gov/document_data/document_images/doc_059b_big.jpg
Lewis Hine 1906
Children working on machines in a textile mill in 1906.
Question: Why are these children working instead of attending school?
Background: The photographer Lewis Hine of the Child Labor Committee photographed these children working in a Textile mill. Shortly after the Civil War the workforce was in great need of new people to work the factories. Children became the answer to the dip in workers with the number of child laborers increasing from 1.5 million in 1890 to 2 million in 1910. Children were hired because they worked for less than adults and their smaller hands made them a better fit for many factory jobs. In many families, children were seen as a vital part of the family economy. Many immigrants and and rural residents sent their children to work in the factories in difficult and dangerous jobs that were not good for the children. Lewis Hine was quoted saying “ There is work that profits children, and there is work that brings profit only to employers. The subject of employing children is not to train them, but to get high profits from their work.”
Whats going on?
In Lewis Hines Photograph there are two children standing on what seems to be a textile machine, The child in the foreground is shoeless standing very close to an uncovered flywheel. The rest of this childs ensemble seems worn and tattered, his right sleeve is ripped as well as his right pant leg. The child looks unhappy with the condition he is in but continues to work as if he is forced.
In the crowded factory scene the children are perched precariously on top of heavy machinery. In the foreground you can see a unguarded flywheel spinning, and if you look behind the first machine that the children are standing on you can see how close the machines are to one another creating a very dangerous environment for anyone to work in not even to mention children. The factory also seems to be poorly lit, if you look to the top right of the picture you can see a burnt out light bulb and if you look to the top left you can see a lonesome window in the distance.
Though no one can know for sure why the children are working and not in school, it can be assumed that they are working in these situations to help support their families along side the two million other kids in the workforce. Judging by the children's lack of shoes and tattered clothing you can surmise that his family is in a time of struggle and putting their child in the factory to bring in money was much more beneficial than to send him to school. This picture exemplifies the struggle children went through to try and help their struggling families.
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/02/15/144263/missouri-child-labo/
Child standing in bustling factory
Lewis Hine 1912
Question: What type of family was the child brought up in?
In the early 1900’s, millions of children were forced into the workforce rather than going to school. For poor families especially the income from child workers was a critical part of their livelihood. Without this familes struggled to put food on the table. The Child Labor Committee wanted to highlight and expose the poor conditions facing the children.
In this photo taken by Lewis Hine you can see one child standing in the foreground. The child’s clothing is dirty and tattered, his shirt is caked in dirt and from what you can see of his pants, they look very worn. The child wears a hat, which appears old and seems to be breaking around the seams. The child himself does not look happy. He has a serious expression on his face as if this is just another day and he needs to get back to work. Although the child's conditions look bad, it looks as if he maybe understands that he needs to help his family. He stands tall as if he feels it is his proper role.
The factory surrounding him looks disheveled and unorganized. There seems to be machines surrounding him, if you look to the left there is a scroll saw that is unattended with no safety guards around it. The factory also looks dirty based on the other people in it who are also caked in dirt.
You can not say for sure what type of family this child was brought up in but based on the fact that this young child is part of the child labor force and is working in a very dangerous and unsanitary environment one would think that he was brought up in a working class family and is taking any job he was given just to help try and support his family.
Child standing in bustling factory
Lewis Hine 1912
Question: What type of family was the child brought up in?
In the early 1900’s, millions of children were forced into the workforce rather than going to school. For poor families especially the income from child workers was a critical part of their livelihood. Without this familes struggled to put food on the table. The Child Labor Committee wanted to highlight and expose the poor conditions facing the children.
In this photo taken by Lewis Hine you can see one child standing in the foreground. The child’s clothing is dirty and tattered, his shirt is caked in dirt and from what you can see of his pants, they look very worn. The child wears a hat, which appears old and seems to be breaking around the seams. The child himself does not look happy. He has a serious expression on his face as if this is just another day and he needs to get back to work. Although the child's conditions look bad, it looks as if he maybe understands that he needs to help his family. He stands tall as if he feels it is his proper role.
The factory surrounding him looks disheveled and unorganized. There seems to be machines surrounding him, if you look to the left there is a scroll saw that is unattended with no safety guards around it. The factory also looks dirty based on the other people in it who are also caked in dirt.
You can not say for sure what type of family this child was brought up in but based on the fact that this young child is part of the child labor force and is working in a very dangerous and unsanitary environment one would think that he was brought up in a working class family and is taking any job he was given just to help try and support his family.
http://www.cmog.org/article/jobs-19th-century-glass-factory
Part of a night shift in an Indiana glass factory, August 1908.
Lewis W. Hine (1874-1940).
Question: What are they doing, and why?
Background: Lewis Hines with the Child Labor Committee took this picture of children working in a glassware factory. Many children who were part of the workforce in the late 1800’s into the mid 1900’s worked in glass factories because there were many jobs available. There were many injuries while working in these factories such as spilling hot glass and getting caught in machines used to create the heated glass. Many children working in glass factories worked between 40-55 hour work weeks and 9-10 hour work days. The children most commonly made about 11 cents an hour for a girl and 18 cents for a guy which is above the poverty line. Because of this many, families chose to make their children brave the risk of injury and continue to work in the unsafe conditions.
The children in this picture look very dirty and are in tattered clothing. The one boy sitting on the left of the picture has rips in the back of his shirt. The rest of the boys also are wearing worn and dirty clothing. The sweat on the faces suggests that the environment is very hot. All the children in this picture are paying close attention, it looks as if they might be afraid in these risky areas.
The factory it self looks very run down. There are dirt floors and many miscellaneous objects spread out across the floor. If you look up at the upper portion of the photo you see lots of pipes hanging down from the ceiling; making for a very unsafe environment. The area looks dark, and crowded with pipes that gives it the look of a prison. There are no windows that we can see. In such a crowded environment, and because there would be a furnace to melt the glass, it would be a terrible fire hazard with likely blocked exits.
The children in this picture are working in a glass factory. You can tell that they are based on their surroundings. The furnace in the far back of the picture is very typical of glass factories from back then. They are probably working here because of all the jobs that children took during this time period as glass factories offered the best pay hour to hour. Even though these were risky conditions, children would be sent by their parents because of economic necessity.
Part of a night shift in an Indiana glass factory, August 1908.
Lewis W. Hine (1874-1940).
Question: What are they doing, and why?
Background: Lewis Hines with the Child Labor Committee took this picture of children working in a glassware factory. Many children who were part of the workforce in the late 1800’s into the mid 1900’s worked in glass factories because there were many jobs available. There were many injuries while working in these factories such as spilling hot glass and getting caught in machines used to create the heated glass. Many children working in glass factories worked between 40-55 hour work weeks and 9-10 hour work days. The children most commonly made about 11 cents an hour for a girl and 18 cents for a guy which is above the poverty line. Because of this many, families chose to make their children brave the risk of injury and continue to work in the unsafe conditions.
The children in this picture look very dirty and are in tattered clothing. The one boy sitting on the left of the picture has rips in the back of his shirt. The rest of the boys also are wearing worn and dirty clothing. The sweat on the faces suggests that the environment is very hot. All the children in this picture are paying close attention, it looks as if they might be afraid in these risky areas.
The factory it self looks very run down. There are dirt floors and many miscellaneous objects spread out across the floor. If you look up at the upper portion of the photo you see lots of pipes hanging down from the ceiling; making for a very unsafe environment. The area looks dark, and crowded with pipes that gives it the look of a prison. There are no windows that we can see. In such a crowded environment, and because there would be a furnace to melt the glass, it would be a terrible fire hazard with likely blocked exits.
The children in this picture are working in a glass factory. You can tell that they are based on their surroundings. The furnace in the far back of the picture is very typical of glass factories from back then. They are probably working here because of all the jobs that children took during this time period as glass factories offered the best pay hour to hour. Even though these were risky conditions, children would be sent by their parents because of economic necessity.
http://www.mwfpress.com/vglcs4qi.2bqi425a-iy82.,.html
Child working in a hosiery factory.
Lewis Hine, Date not available
Question: Why were such young kids needed?
Background: Sewing factories during the Gilded Age were some of the most worked jobs by children with over 30% of the child labor force at the time being part of the sewing industry. Children were ideal for jobs here because their small hands were much more nimble than adults and they were able to work out smaller imperfections in the sewing. There were often accidents in some of these factories such as fingers being cut off by the heavy machinery. Some of the work conditions were better than others. To most families the money was worth the risk. With the demand for labor growing quickly, and the wages helping their families there was a lot of people supporting children joining the workforce. The Progressives wanted to emphasize that children should be allowed to play and go to school rather than be forced to work from a young age.
The picture shows a young girl paying close attention to her work. She looks in good health and reasonably well dressed. There are no tears in her clothes and they do not appear dirty. She looks better dressed than the woman next to her. She has a round face showing she is not malnourished.
The room in which the girl sits has a lot of windows, the light seems so good that none of the electric lights are on. She is seated and there seems to be room between her and the other worker. There are no large machines, typical of the textile industry of the time visible in the photograph. The child does not appear in danger as so many child labor pictures depict. It is just the very young age and seriousness of the girl that shows she is serious and not at school or playing. The issue made most obvious is that she is a worker, not a child.
Younger children, especially girls, more than adults, were needed in the workforce more specifically in the sewing industry. Education for girls was not considered so important. This picture is evidence of the corruption in big business; they would rather maximize profits than protect the welfare of children.
Child working in a hosiery factory.
Lewis Hine, Date not available
Question: Why were such young kids needed?
Background: Sewing factories during the Gilded Age were some of the most worked jobs by children with over 30% of the child labor force at the time being part of the sewing industry. Children were ideal for jobs here because their small hands were much more nimble than adults and they were able to work out smaller imperfections in the sewing. There were often accidents in some of these factories such as fingers being cut off by the heavy machinery. Some of the work conditions were better than others. To most families the money was worth the risk. With the demand for labor growing quickly, and the wages helping their families there was a lot of people supporting children joining the workforce. The Progressives wanted to emphasize that children should be allowed to play and go to school rather than be forced to work from a young age.
The picture shows a young girl paying close attention to her work. She looks in good health and reasonably well dressed. There are no tears in her clothes and they do not appear dirty. She looks better dressed than the woman next to her. She has a round face showing she is not malnourished.
The room in which the girl sits has a lot of windows, the light seems so good that none of the electric lights are on. She is seated and there seems to be room between her and the other worker. There are no large machines, typical of the textile industry of the time visible in the photograph. The child does not appear in danger as so many child labor pictures depict. It is just the very young age and seriousness of the girl that shows she is serious and not at school or playing. The issue made most obvious is that she is a worker, not a child.
Younger children, especially girls, more than adults, were needed in the workforce more specifically in the sewing industry. Education for girls was not considered so important. This picture is evidence of the corruption in big business; they would rather maximize profits than protect the welfare of children.
http://blogs.sacbee.com/photos/2009/11/the-worlds-children.html
Photo: Pavel Rahman / AP
Boys in a filthy manufacturing factory
Question: Why are these kids working in such horrible conditions?
Background: Modern day child labor is more commonly seen in third world countries and places with an income far under the poverty line. Many children work in sweatshops or places like that shown in the photograph; makeshift factories. For some families, this is their main source of income. Factories such as this one have grown exponentially over the past decade as the global demand for cheap goods has increased.
In Pavel Rahman’s picture, there are three boys coated in dirt and dust sitting on the dirt floor making plastic components. These boys are dressed in ripped shorts, no shoes and no shirt. The boys are so covered in dirt that their skin color is gray; the color of the dirt, and dust surrounding them makes their faces almost unrecognizable. The boys look very thin. The boys look disinterested and unhappy with the work that they are doing. They look in a sense, broken and disheartened. The task appears to be tedious and monotonous. There are no adults in the picture. The overall sense is that these children are in forced labor.
The conditions that these three children are working in are unsanitary. They are sitting on a dirt floor and the children work without anything to protect them from the dust and grit that they are breathing in with every breath they take . There is also very limited lighting with not a single window able to be seen. There are no signs of any comfort, no water to drink, no seats, no cushions for the floor.
There is a lot of evidence about sweatshops, where poor children are forced to work many hours in horrible conditions. In this photograph there is evidence that the children are unhappy, and beaten down. It looks like they are being forced into this terrible job.
Photo: Pavel Rahman / AP
Boys in a filthy manufacturing factory
Question: Why are these kids working in such horrible conditions?
Background: Modern day child labor is more commonly seen in third world countries and places with an income far under the poverty line. Many children work in sweatshops or places like that shown in the photograph; makeshift factories. For some families, this is their main source of income. Factories such as this one have grown exponentially over the past decade as the global demand for cheap goods has increased.
In Pavel Rahman’s picture, there are three boys coated in dirt and dust sitting on the dirt floor making plastic components. These boys are dressed in ripped shorts, no shoes and no shirt. The boys are so covered in dirt that their skin color is gray; the color of the dirt, and dust surrounding them makes their faces almost unrecognizable. The boys look very thin. The boys look disinterested and unhappy with the work that they are doing. They look in a sense, broken and disheartened. The task appears to be tedious and monotonous. There are no adults in the picture. The overall sense is that these children are in forced labor.
The conditions that these three children are working in are unsanitary. They are sitting on a dirt floor and the children work without anything to protect them from the dust and grit that they are breathing in with every breath they take . There is also very limited lighting with not a single window able to be seen. There are no signs of any comfort, no water to drink, no seats, no cushions for the floor.
There is a lot of evidence about sweatshops, where poor children are forced to work many hours in horrible conditions. In this photograph there is evidence that the children are unhappy, and beaten down. It looks like they are being forced into this terrible job.
http://www.loe.org/content/2014-05-16/18-price_compressormining008-web.jpg
unknown
Girl shoveling muck from compression diving
Question: Why is the girl shoveling muck
Background: in the Philippines a main source of income for many families is compression diving, compression diving is when someone dives down in to a deep hole in the ground in attempt to find gold in the muck and grime tens of feet below the surface. compression diving is not just left to adults many children are pushed in to it by there parents to earn more money and help support the family there are often accidents with the holes collapsing or the air system breaking while the divers are far below the surface.
The young child in the foreground is sifting through the dirt and muck brought up by the divers. She is dressed in very wet and dirty clothing,and without shoes to protect her feet. This young girl is also forced to work long hours every day just to have enough money to contribute to her family.
The conditions this girl is working in are anything but safe. If you look just to the right of the girl you see one of the holes with a diver in it, this hole is uncovered and has nothing surrounding it to prevent someone from falling in. If you look at the water the girl is standing in it is so murky it look like chocolate milk. This water is most likely swarming with bacteria and this girl has to stand in it for hours. This makes for very unsafe working conditions.
The girl in the picture is shoveling muck from the earth into a vat where it is sorted to find gold, Girls do not usually dive for the gold but they are often used to sift through the muck. This is often seen as a necessary part of the families revenue. The girl in this picture is most likely forced to work here by her parents because they need to the money to feed their family. In conclusion this is a perfect example of the lengths families go to overcome poverty.
unknown
Girl shoveling muck from compression diving
Question: Why is the girl shoveling muck
Background: in the Philippines a main source of income for many families is compression diving, compression diving is when someone dives down in to a deep hole in the ground in attempt to find gold in the muck and grime tens of feet below the surface. compression diving is not just left to adults many children are pushed in to it by there parents to earn more money and help support the family there are often accidents with the holes collapsing or the air system breaking while the divers are far below the surface.
The young child in the foreground is sifting through the dirt and muck brought up by the divers. She is dressed in very wet and dirty clothing,and without shoes to protect her feet. This young girl is also forced to work long hours every day just to have enough money to contribute to her family.
The conditions this girl is working in are anything but safe. If you look just to the right of the girl you see one of the holes with a diver in it, this hole is uncovered and has nothing surrounding it to prevent someone from falling in. If you look at the water the girl is standing in it is so murky it look like chocolate milk. This water is most likely swarming with bacteria and this girl has to stand in it for hours. This makes for very unsafe working conditions.
The girl in the picture is shoveling muck from the earth into a vat where it is sorted to find gold, Girls do not usually dive for the gold but they are often used to sift through the muck. This is often seen as a necessary part of the families revenue. The girl in this picture is most likely forced to work here by her parents because they need to the money to feed their family. In conclusion this is a perfect example of the lengths families go to overcome poverty.
Photo: Alamy 04 Jul 2014
http://internationalpoliticalforum.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/telegraph.jpg
Child Mineworkers ascending from a Mine
Question: What is this boy doing?
Background: In August 2005 a report by a Chilean organization (SENAME) found that there were 1123 cases if children working in the worst forms of child labor. Fifty eight percent of them were involved in hazardous activities such as mining. while governments have put laws in place to make it illegal to hire children to do these jobs, mine owners continue to use them
The picture shows a young child, perhaps 12 or 13 years old. The child is climbing up a steep ladder, with one hand being used to hold a light. This looks extremely dangerous. The child is covered in dirt as a worker would be.
In the photograph we can see a rickety ladder, with narrow and dirty rungs. There does not look as if there is any lighting in the hole behind him so that he must carry the light taking his hands away from the job of climbing. This does not look like a large modern mine with easy access, or proper safety precautions. It looks not more than a hole dug in the ground suggesting a very makeshift operation. There is no electric elevator, there is no light on his helmet. He is not carrying a safety case with emergency oxygen. He is not wearing any safety overalls. He does not seem to have a mask to protect him against dust and dangerous fumes.
The boy is climbing out of the mine after a days work. It is an example of very bad child labor because it is very risky and seems to be a very makeshift mine operation, not properly regulated.
http://internationalpoliticalforum.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/telegraph.jpg
Child Mineworkers ascending from a Mine
Question: What is this boy doing?
Background: In August 2005 a report by a Chilean organization (SENAME) found that there were 1123 cases if children working in the worst forms of child labor. Fifty eight percent of them were involved in hazardous activities such as mining. while governments have put laws in place to make it illegal to hire children to do these jobs, mine owners continue to use them
The picture shows a young child, perhaps 12 or 13 years old. The child is climbing up a steep ladder, with one hand being used to hold a light. This looks extremely dangerous. The child is covered in dirt as a worker would be.
In the photograph we can see a rickety ladder, with narrow and dirty rungs. There does not look as if there is any lighting in the hole behind him so that he must carry the light taking his hands away from the job of climbing. This does not look like a large modern mine with easy access, or proper safety precautions. It looks not more than a hole dug in the ground suggesting a very makeshift operation. There is no electric elevator, there is no light on his helmet. He is not carrying a safety case with emergency oxygen. He is not wearing any safety overalls. He does not seem to have a mask to protect him against dust and dangerous fumes.
The boy is climbing out of the mine after a days work. It is an example of very bad child labor because it is very risky and seems to be a very makeshift mine operation, not properly regulated.
by Jasmin Malik Chua 02/27/14
http://www.ecouterre.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/uzbekistan-child-labor-cotton-1.jpg
Child picks cotton in field
Question: Why are kids this young used to work out in the fields?
Background: Each year, the Uzbek government sends more than two million children to work in the fields for up to ten hours a day for two to three months each year. Some of these kids are as young as seven years old. These children live in terrible conditions and fall ill, miss school, and work from dawn to dusk daily for very little or no pay.
The boy in this picture looks very young and has a concerned and un happy look on his face, he has a slight grimace which shows how unhappy he is about the situation he is in. His ensemble is not ragged or torn but he is not wearing much to protect him from bad weather. The boy is also very young it you look at the cotton plants surrounding him they are his height if not taller then him, he should not be working in the fields he should be at school or home with his parents.
The field that this boy is working in look very dense and seems very easy to get lost in. Based on the photograph he also seems to be unattended. There is no one to watch him and make sure that he is ok.
Many children are used in the fields because they can not do manual labor jobs and picking cotton is something easy that they can do with little assistance. The boy in this looks very unhappy and confused as to why he is left all alone in the fields to pick cotton. In conclusion this exemplifies the exploitation of children in the workforce making them work for little or no pay and making them work for long hours everyday.
http://www.ecouterre.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/uzbekistan-child-labor-cotton-1.jpg
Child picks cotton in field
Question: Why are kids this young used to work out in the fields?
Background: Each year, the Uzbek government sends more than two million children to work in the fields for up to ten hours a day for two to three months each year. Some of these kids are as young as seven years old. These children live in terrible conditions and fall ill, miss school, and work from dawn to dusk daily for very little or no pay.
The boy in this picture looks very young and has a concerned and un happy look on his face, he has a slight grimace which shows how unhappy he is about the situation he is in. His ensemble is not ragged or torn but he is not wearing much to protect him from bad weather. The boy is also very young it you look at the cotton plants surrounding him they are his height if not taller then him, he should not be working in the fields he should be at school or home with his parents.
The field that this boy is working in look very dense and seems very easy to get lost in. Based on the photograph he also seems to be unattended. There is no one to watch him and make sure that he is ok.
Many children are used in the fields because they can not do manual labor jobs and picking cotton is something easy that they can do with little assistance. The boy in this looks very unhappy and confused as to why he is left all alone in the fields to pick cotton. In conclusion this exemplifies the exploitation of children in the workforce making them work for little or no pay and making them work for long hours everyday.