Whether it was forging Pittsburgh steel or building iconic New York City landmarks, immigrants in the early 20th century were at the forefront — and photographer Lewis Hine captured it all.
The Frick is mounting an exhibit of more than 70 of Hine’s photographs in their new exhibit, “Lewis Hine Pictures America,” opening on Feb. 21.
“I think this is a perfect exhibition for The Frick to have because Lewis Hine did not consider himself an artist. This is an exhibition that sits right at that intersection between art and history,” said Dawn Brean, chief curator and director of collections at the Frick.
The photographs from Hine, a trained sociologist, portray immigrants and working-class people from his Pittsburgh Survey as well as at Ellis Island and during the construction of the Empire State Building.
He brought his own blue-collar Wisconsin background to his photography, documenting the conditions of poverty, child labor and industry in American cities during the opening decades of the 1900s.
“He approached photography as a teaching tool,” Brean said. “He wanted to help his students understand the world around them. His first photographs were taken down at Ellis Island, and he very quickly realized that photography could be such a tool for change.”
In addition to the photographs on the walls, Hine speaks through several quotes that are placed throughout the exhibit.
“I wanted to show things that had to be corrected; I wanted to show the things that had to be appreciated,” reads one.
The exhibit also includes a timeline that reveals vital events in the progression of labor movements and laws during Hine’s three-decadeslong photography career, which adds important context to the often haunting images that Hine captured in New York and Pennsylvania.
“His images were really influential in enacting reform and legislation improvements to let kids be kids,” Brean said, speaking specifically of Hine’s work with the National Child Labor Committee.
From Ellis Island to the construction of the Empire State Building, much of the content is focused on the lives and conditions of immigrant men, women and children, whether working in coal mines or framing out skyscrapers with thousands of tons of steel.
Brean had a hard time choosing a favorite part of the exhibit, but she said that the Ellis Island photographs especially speak to her.
“He captures so many human emotions in these images. You can search all the faces and there’s determination, resolve, anxiety, hope, joy, all of these moments that he’s able to capture. You just look at their faces and you want to know their backstory.”
“Lewis Hine Pictures America” will be open through May 17, and The Frick will be putting on lots of special programming during its run.
Kelsie Paul, The Frick’s director of learning and visitor experience, said that The Frick is excited about their full schedule of events around the exhibit.
“This exhibit is such a rich source material for us,” she said. “There are lots of great connections we can make with Pittsburgh history. We really do try to create our programs so there’s a little bit of something for everyone.”
Their events will include lectures, specialty tours and hands-on workshops, in addition to collaborations with other Pittsburgh institutions.
One of those partnerships is with the Nationality Rooms at the University of Pittsburgh. Participants can sign up for three different dates throughout the run to do custom tours of the Nationality Rooms and then come to The Frick to make connections between the two.
On March 8, they’ll partner with the Heinz History Center for a lecture and film screening to celebrate the Italian-American community.
Paul also highlighted a dance showcase that they’ll put on later in the spring.
“We’re going to have different cultural dance groups do performances of dances that are from their individual cultures and then talk about where those dances come from and how they fit into identity and the immigrant experience,” Paul said.
“As much as possible, we’re trying to connect Lewis Hine’s work with our Pittsburgh story and the history about what makes our city so interesting,” Paul said.
“Lewis Hine Pictures America” will run at The Frick from Feb. 21 to May 17. To learn more about the exhibit and about programming throughout its run, visit thefrickpittsburgh.org.