Oh my friends, the down-trodden operatives of Coketown! Oh my friends and fellow-countrymen, the sla

Oh my friends, the down-trodden operatives of Coketown! Oh my friends and fellow-countrymen, the slaves of an ironhanded and a grinding despotism! Oh my friends and fellow-sufferers, and fellow-workmen, and fellow-men! I tell you that the hour is come, when we must rally round one another as One united power, and crumble into dust the oppressors that too long have battened upon the plunder of our families, upon the sweat of our brows, upon the labour of our hands, upon the strength of our sinews, upon the God-created glorious rights of Humanity, and upon the holy and eternal privileges of Brotherhood!

Hard Times, Charles Dickens (1854)

The work of the American photographer Lewis W. Hine (1874-1940) has always looked so Dickensian to me. Half a century later, things across the Atlantic weren’t very different to Dickens’ novels. Yet, it’s even more scary (and shameful) the fact that today child labour is still a reality in some countries (not to mention the social conditions).

Btw, there’s an exhibition in Madrid that I’m very excited about devoted to Lewis Hine. Go if you have a chance!

All pics available here in high resolution.