The artwork titled “Joseph Bishop and Brother, Newsboys, Hartford, Connecticut, 1909” was created by Lewis Hine in 1909. This piece is part of the Social Realism art movement and falls under the genre of photography. It also belongs to the “National Child Labor Committee photographs” series, which sheds light on the conditions faced by child laborers in the early 20th century.
In the artwork, two young boys are captured standing at the entrance of a café named “Curry’s.” The boys, dressed in heavy coats and hats, are each holding newspapers, signifying their roles as newsboys. They are positioned in front of the café doors, with one boy appearing to be in the process of opening the door while the other looks on. The scene is set in a snowy environment, as evidenced by the snow on the ground and steps. The composition of the photograph, with the boys in the foreground and the café’s signage in the background, vividly portrays the everyday reality of child laborers during that era. The use of sepia tones adds a historic and poignant effect, emphasizing the timeless nature of social struggles depicted in the photograph.
