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
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6 comments:

  1. STEPHEN RATCLIFFE13 January 2011 at 06:54

    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

    ReplyDelete
  2. TC13 January 2011 at 07:00

    Steve,

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

    ReplyDelete
  3. aditya14 January 2011 at 01:58

    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

    ReplyDelete
  4. STEPHEN RATCLIFFE14 January 2011 at 07:11

    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

    ReplyDelete
  5. TC15 January 2011 at 06:21

    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.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Robb15 January 2011 at 19:37

    Born blind ... yes

    "undes"

    ReplyDelete