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October 1908. Evansville, Indiana. "World Furniture Company, noon hour. Boy at left hand end was running machine composed of two unguarded circular Saws. The board he was pushing stuck and he gave it an impatient shove. Had he slipped, both hands and arms would have gone into the edges of the saws." Photograph and caption by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size.
The cute smiling boy in the buttoned up shirt and overalls immediately drew my eye. He looks like he was a lot of fun and could probably spin a good yarn or two. He reminds me so much of someone out of Twain.
Lewis Wickes Hine became the photographer for the National Child Labor Committee in 1907.
He worked to influence reform in manufacturing and industry later he was the photographer for the TVA and WPA.
He was most certainly an activist.
....according to a vintage postcard here:
http://www.willard.lib.in.us/online_resources/postcard_gallery_detail.ph...
courtesy of the Willard Library in Evansville (it's about the seventh down from the top).
I always find these types of photographs so beautiful.
Great vintage photo looks great
Where does the information come from regarding saws and hazards in the workplaces?
Was the photographer an activist of some sort?
And coming that close to that disaster I would be smiling, too.
...but on the upside, it is apparent that they had great confidence in themselves to handle whatever challenge came their way. Both my father and grandfather who labored in foundries, factories and coalmines were able to do practically anything, including build homes, plumbing, masonry, plastering of walls and ceilings, electrical wiring, hang doors, replace windows, install appliances, fashion home-made garden tools, grow gardens and repair most problems with all types of vehicles. I know lots of college boys who cannot change a flat tire, let alone replace a washer in the faucet. (They grew up too early, these kids, but were smart and strong in my opinion). Maybe we are raising too many girly men today.
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