Italian Family, Chicago (Primary Title)
Lewis W. Hine, American, 1874 – 1940 (Artist)
Lewis Hine captured a mother with her children in their meager accommodations at Chicago’s Hull House, an institution that provided a residence, healthcare, and education for recently arrived immigrants. Hull House was intended as an alternative to the unhygienic tenements where many people lived and worked. Similar to his early photographs of families arriving at Ellis Island, this image is an impromptu family portrait. While the family is aware of Hine’s presence—grouped together against a wall—they seem unprepared for the photograph, each member looking in a different direction. Hine was particularly captivated by the cherubic face of the young boy, who was also a subject of several other photographs.
Black ink stamp on verso: "Lewis W. Hine / Interpretaive Photography / Hastings-on-Hudson, New York"
Inscribed by unknown hand(s) in graphite on verso: "Chicago 1910 / Italian family", "110", "75-29-19 F", and "neg #3706". Inscribed in black ink by unknown hand on verso: "129" circled.
Virginia Museum Art Purchase Fund
The Likeness of Labor, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, October 17, 2015 - April 10, 2016
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC
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