Addie Card, 12 years old. Spinner in cotton mill, North Pownal, Vermont 1910

Lewis Hine made this photograph of Addie Card in North Pownal, Vermont, sometime in the early 20th century, using a camera and glass plate negatives. The material reality of this image – its very making – is critical to understanding its power. Hine was documenting child labor, a widespread practice at the time. Look closely: the cotton mill machinery looms behind Addie, a twelve-year-old girl who operated it. The cotton fibers hanging in the air, the grease on the floor, and the dust on Addie's dress, all speak to the harsh conditions of industrial production. The photograph itself becomes a tool. Hine used his camera to expose injustice, bringing the realities of labor, class, and consumption into stark focus. Addie's weary expression and posture speak volumes. Her presence in the factory underscores the immense amount of human work, extracted even from children, required to fuel the textile industry. This work transcends the distinction between fine art and documentary. It's a potent reminder that materials, making, and social context are inseparable.