[Newsboy, Mobile, Alabama]

In 1907 the United States Congress mandated that the National Child Labor Committee investigate child labor. Hired to gather evidence, Hine, a sociologist, created more than five thousand negatives within a period of ten years. The neutral quality of his images made them reliable documents. They were reproduced in educational campaigns that led to protective legislation for children in the U.S. Hine denounced the use of children in the workforce by focusing on details that show the inequities of their position. This newsboy appears threatened by every element that surrounds him in the scene, such as the shadows--which include one of the photographer himself--and the poster advertisement that is larger than he is.