Engineman for 40 Years on Pennsylvania R.R. (Primary Title)
Lewis W. Hine, American, 1874 – 1940 (Artist)
In the 1920s and 1930s, Hine produced a series of portraits of men who held unique jobs in different industries. Each subject is presented as a heroic figure, performing extraordinary tasks with dignity and gravitas. This photograph appeared with Mechanic and Micrometer in Hine’s landmark publication, Men at Work (1932), which compiled many of these portraits. Hine captioned this photograph: “‘Forty years in the cab, and I’ve never killed anything, human or animal.’ Such a record is the pride of this engineer.”
Black ink stamp on verso: "Lewis W. Hine / Interpretaive Photography / Hastings-on-Hudson, New York"
Inscribed by unknown hand(s) in graphite on verso: "1920 Engiineman for 40 years on Penn R. R-", and "75-29-19 R".
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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