History of Documentary Photography Part 3

Photography has always been responsive to the suffering of humanity and the camera quickly became a tool for social reform. In New York City in the late nineteenth century, Jacob Riis and Lewis Hine used photography to expose the plight of poor immigrants and the exploitation of child labour. Hine’s shocking images resulted in the passing of the Child Labour Law. The first photograph I have included is one of Hine’s titled ‘Mill Girl,’ I think the depth of field in this image draws the viewer past the machinery to the face and stance of the girl. This is a very clever way for Hine to make his image visually eye-catching and I can really appreciate his photographs even at this early stage in photography.

During the American Depression in the 1930s, photographers such as Walker Evans and Dorothea Lange were employed by the Farm Security Administration, a government agency, to reveal the extent of poverty in rural America. They produced powerful evidence of the impact of the depression on farm workers across America.

Two American magazines, ‘Life’ and ‘Look’, that began in the 1930s, developed the idea of the picture story or photographic essay, where a sequence of images is produced based on a pre-determined plan. The magazine would edit the photographer’s images to present the most effective way to tell the story.

W. Eugene Smith, working for ‘Life’ magazine, became famous for his intimate and moving portrayal of his subjects. The image I have included is taken from his set ‘Country Doctor,’ which was an insight into a lifestyle most people were not accustomed to at the time and showed some really upsetting photographs in order for Evans to fully illustrate his point.