About a year ago I read a book titled "Empire Rising" by Thomas Kelly. It is a novel taking place around 1930 about the construction of the Empire State Building. Hine was the "official" photographer for the building, I suppose, hired by the corporation that built it. He is referred to often in the book. The copy I have (a full size paperback) has a picture on the cover of the building under construction in 1931, an amazing shot of a worker standing high up on the superstructure apparently sending a signal by pointing at someone below. The description of the photo on the back cover of the book describes it as "ATOP EMPIRE STATE - in construction: CHRYSLER BUILDING & (DAILY) NEWS IN MIDDLE FOREGROUND." I can plainly see the Chrysler Building, but they must have cropped the News building out of the shot. The picture is in the collection of the NY Public Library, which is not too far from where I live, and I think I'll walk over and see if I can see the original. I don't know if you have access to it, but it it's a natural for Shorpy.
Mel Tillman (Mr Mel).

I think we have a typo, DOB probably May 16, 1900. I assume he was paid $3.27 per week. How did Hine find these people?

[Oops. Fixed. Actually I think he is saying Louis turned 16 on May 16, 1916; I should not have added the word "born." But yes, 1900 is when he would have been born. From what I gather reading Hine's caption notes, he traveled from town to town to various factories looking for working kids. Many places had signs outside saying BOYS WANTED. He spent 16 years doing this (1908-1924), taking thousands of photographs with a gigantic view camera that must have weighed around a hundred pounds. - Dave]