Visual Literacy - Analysing Photographs

“Building the Empire State” - Lewis Hine

By: Julián, Carla, Carmen & Adriana.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction 2. Biography of the photographer 3. Analysis of the photography a. Observation skills i.

Action

ii.

Setting

iii.

Theme

iv.

Characters

v.

Clothing

vi.

Pose

vii.

Expression

b. Technical knowledge i.

Point of view

ii.

Lightning

iii.

Framing

iv.

Cropping

c. Context d. Meaning e. Symbol f. Story 4. Conclusion 5. Bibliography

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1. Introduction In this project we’re going to analyze a photograph. We don’t know either the photographer or the photo’s name. We’re going to invent the story that we think that is behind the photograph and then to compare it with the real story 2. Biography of the photographer Lewis Hine In 1904, Lewis Hine photographed immigrants on Ellis Island, as well as at the tenements and sweatshops where they lived and worked. In 1911, he was hired by the National Child Labor Committee to record child labor conditions, and he produced appalling pictures of exploited children. During World War I, Hines worked as a photographer with the Red Cross and later photographed the construction of the Empire State Building. He died on November 3, 1940, in Dobbs Ferry, New York.

3. Analysis of the photography A) Observation Skills I) Action We can see some men on a beam and in the background there is a city. The men are builders that are resting during the lunch hour. the men are builders because they are wearing work clothes.

The men are in the break time, the lunch hour because they have a lunch box and the sky is clear. I think that they are building a ​ skyscraper, because the skyscraper ​ looks like a ​ bigger ​ building ​ than ​ the rest. The subject are the men on the beam because they ​ are in the center of the ​ picture and they ​ are what we first see. Behind the subject ​ there ​ is a big city. In front of the subject there is a ​ skyscraper.

We think that the men were constructing one of the first skyscrapers​ , they were wearing work clothes ​ and the ​ alarm rang ​ and the men went to ​ have lunch. We think that the men ​ will keep on working. In that time men worked many hours because girls couldn’t work; and I think that others builders continued doing others skyscrapers up to now.​ II) Setting The picture was taken around 1930 because in the picture there are only men and there isn’t any ​ girl because they ​ didn't couldn’t work. The picture was taken in New York City because on the background you can see Central Park and there aren’t a​ ny s​ kyscrapers.

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III) Theme The story is about some builders that are constructing the first skyscraper in New York City and the honour is for these eleven employees ​ and they finished the skyscraper and the builders named the skyscraper and other ​ builders continued doing other skyscrapers up to now. ​ Because Central Park is in the background and the building that they are constructing is taller than the rest. The photographer thinks “The perfect photo for the people of the future so they can see the first skyscraper of New York”.

IV) Characters We think that the men are around 30-40 years. The men are from New York.

V) Clothing They were wearing overalls and caps.Their clothes don’t tell anything about their identity or social group.

VI) Pose They aren't motivated, they are tired.

VII) Expression Their expression is of fatigue. He was thinking about the result of the skyscraper. He was thinking about the result of the skyscraper. The people as they are employees and they were working.

B) Technical knowledge I) Point of view The photographer is a bit higher than the employees and from there he takes the photo. The photographer was on a skyscraper, but they hadn’t finished the skyscraper. The photographer was crouching. We think that the photographer took the picture from above looking down. He chose this composition because the lunch hour is the best hour to express the hard work. It has the effect of white and black, to express an antiquity of the photo.

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II) Lightning The light is natural because the photographer and the employees are in an open place. The light ​ is coming from the sun (in the picture.)The light is not very bright but the light is not dark. The light is soft and diffused. The background of the picture is blurry. The photographer uses clarity on the employees and (he uses) blurry in the background. The lighting draws my attention to the employees.

The mood is sad.

III) Framing The first thing that we see are the eleven men on a beam that are eating their lunch, the second thing that I see is Central Park, that Central Park indicates us that the city is New York. There is the rest of a city many buildings but there isn't any other skyscraper. This way you can see better the height of the skyscraper than the rest of the buildings of the city.

IV) Cropping The photographer crops the image this way so it looks as if the employees workers were flying. Because the​ most important subjects are in the center of the image. ​ C) Context Fine art exhibition, because he wanted to show how the people worked in those times. The time period was the Great Depression. The photograph communicates poverty and precariousness. We don’t know other photographers or other artists from this time period.

D) Finding meaning.

The photograph is saying how the work was in New York City in 1930. The impact is the men on a beam, It is very impressive. The photograph makes me feel surprised. We think that they are very brave.

E) Symbol/Metaphor The most important symbols were built by emigrants. The important thing is the whole group not just one person.

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F) Story ➢ Carla’s story.

I think that the story is about some builders that are constructing the first skyscraper in New

York City and the honour is for these eleven employees ​ and they finished the skyscraper and the builders named the skyscraper and others​ ​ builders continued doing other​ s​ skyscrapers up to now.

The Central Park is in the background and the building that they are constructing is taller than

the rest. I think that the photographer is a man, because the girls were very refined and they wouldn’t go up to a skyscraper and the men were braver than girls. ➢ Adriana’s story.

They are constructing one of the first skyscrapers, the photograph was taken a lot of years ago because the men were working and women couldn’t think that the photo is from the 50s ​ , because they are wearing clothes from that time.

The men are wearing work clothes and they have a lunch box. I think that they are constructing a skyscraper because it is bigger than the rest of the buildings. ➢ Carmen's story I think that this image reflects the little security and the situation of the workers in that age.They were on

the beam without harness and the method that they were using to construct the building… ➢ Julian's story A story of revolution and struggle against society. I can see some men risking their lives, because they aren’t wearing a harness and they are sitting on a beam up in the air without protection/security.

4. Conclusion The real story of this image is similar to our story. But, We didn't know the name of the skyscraper. It’s an amazing story, you can see how the work was in that time. We like this photograph and its story. This project was very funny and entertaining.

We think that the project was funny and interesting because we learned to work in group. Our group is good because we worked fast and everybody collaborated in it.

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5. Bibliography Photographs:

“Photos of the Empire State Building Under Construction” Twisted Sifter

http://twistedsifter.com/2012/06/vintage-photos-of-the-empire-state-building-under-construction/​ (June 3, 2016)

Biography of Lewis Hine: Biography.com

Editors“Lewis

Hine

Biography”

The

Biography.com

website

http://www.biography.com/people/lewis-hine-9339610​ (June 3, 2016) ​

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