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Thursday 13 January 2011

Lewis W. Hine: Exposure ("get father a watch")


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http://lcweb2.loc.gov/service/pnp/nclc/05200/05210v.jpg

Blind beggar, Lawton, Oklahoma: photo by Lewis W. Hine, April 1917



Blinded by the light

And then it is
the night -- the street -- exposure
to the past -- to history

the spoils -- the same -- once
again, over again
the same --

just later -- he was born
blind
mister





http://lcweb2.loc.gov/service/pnp/nclc/05200/05211v.jpg

Blind beggar, Lawton, Oklahoma: photo by Lewis W. Hine, April 1917

[John Dowers, 7 years old, lives at 108 W. Frisco St. Starts out at 5 a.m. some days. Father is blind and sells newspapers. John is a pretty good beggar. Was seen trying to borrow a dollar from the bank to "get father a watch" (father is blind).]  Location: [Oklahoma City, Oklahoma]

John Dowers, 7 years old, lives at 108 W. Frisco St. Starts out at 5 a.m. some days. Father is blind and sells newspapers. John is a pretty good beggar. Was seen trying to borrow a dollar from the bank to "get father a watch" (father is blind). Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: photo by Lewis W. Hine, 4 March 1917

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/service/pnp/nclc/05200/05227v.jpg

Play-time at the Oklahoma School for the Blind. Children have a great deal of freedom. Muskogee, Oklahoma: photo by Lewis W. Hine, March 1917

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/service/pnp/nclc/05200/05230v.jpg

Some original play houses conceived and executed by girls at the Oklahoma School for the Blind, Muskogee, Oklahoma: photo by Lewis W. Hine, March 1917

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/service/pnp/nclc/05200/05262v.jpg

Blind man and his youthful guide, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: photo by Lewis W. Hine, April 1917


Photos from National Child Labor Committee Collection, Library of Congress

6 comments:

STEPHEN RATCLIFFE said...

Tom,

And then it is
the night -- the street -- exposure
to the past

looking out at snow on bare branches, sound of traffic on East Colfax, Oklahoma somewhere out there further east . . . .

1.13

light coming into cloud above shadowed
building, line of bare branch in upper
left foreground, car passing in street

that is object, presence as
what is because it is

thought, every other object
larger forms, top left

grey light coming into sky above ridge,
lighter grey line in clouds on horizon

TC said...

Steve,

Thanks for keeping an eye out across the prairie for us...

aditya said...

Sigh. It will live with me for a long while. get father a watch(father is blind)

Two women and their
children stand beneath
the traffic lights with eyes
failing and stretched like
the will of a lake
where no deer come down
anymore. They ask me for
money
in the name of god
who would not give them any.


Roadside on a giant board
there are neat chicken crumbs present
each the size of man
stacked jumbly
on top of each other
(rather deliberately)
 hunger is an accident but
And in big bold letters the importance
of schezwan sauce is insinuated
These are the riches of the man

STEPHEN RATCLIFFE said...

Tom,

Another view from the Front Range, Fort Collins. . . .


1.14

light coming into sky above still black
trees, shapes of bare branches in upper
left foreground, cars passing in street

translation of “unconcealed,”
in which today’s step

at the same moment, is what
one feels, picture it

sunlight on wall against pale blue sky,
shadowed brick-red wall across from it

TC said...

They ask me for
money
in the name of god
who would not give them any

hunger is an accident

cars passing in street

____

Steve and Aditya,

These lines spoke to each other, for me.

Robb said...

Born blind ... yes

"undes"