THE SORDONI ART GALLERY PRESENTS THE EXHIBITION

LET CHILDREN BE CHILDREN: LEWIS WICKES HINE'S CRUSADE AGAINST CHILD LABOR

An exhibition organized by George Eastman House

 

(Wilkes-Barre)   The Sordoni Art Gallery opens the exhibition, LET CHILDREN BE CHILDREN: LEWIS WICKES HINE'S CRUSADE AGAINST CHILD LABOR on Monday, January 16, with a presentation by Professor Robert Wolensky entitled, “The Anthracite Mining Industry in Northeastern Pennsylvania During the Lewis Hine Years” on Tuesday, January 17 at 7 p.m. in Stark Learning Center room 166 on the campus of Wilkes University. This exhibition and presentation by Professor Robert Wolensky is a part of Mining History week activities. The exhibition will be on view through March 11, 2012.

 

Lewis Wickes Hine (American, 1874–1940) was a sociologist whose photographs captured his abiding concern for children, immigrants, and working-class people. He was hired by the National Child Labor Committee (NCLC) in 1906 to document the harsh conditions in which children worked. Hine spent 10 years photographing in the canneries, coal mines, cotton mills, farms, and sweatshops com­mon during the early 20th century. Through the use of photography, Hine and the NCLC endeavored to gain the attention of the govern­ment and arouse public sentiment against child labor practices in the United States. A telling look at the industrializa­tion of America, this exhibition reveals the circumstances that poor working children endured until leg­islation against child labor prevailed as late as 1938.

 

Professor Robert Wolensky, who will be presenting, “The Anthracite Mining Industry in Northeastern Pennsylvania During the Lewis Hine Years” is a Professor of Sociology at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and Adjunct Professor of History and Sociology at King’s College, Wilkes-Barre, PA. He has written several books on Northeastern Pennsylvania history, including the forthcoming (Spring 2012) volume, Anthracite Labor Wars.  Co-authored with William A. Hastie of West Pittston, the book examines labor conflict at the Pennsylvania Coal Company’s mines in the Pittston-Old Forge-Dunmore areas between 1903 and 1935. He is also a board member of the Anthracite Heritage Foundation, and a member of the Anthracite Living History Group, the Huber Breaker Preservation Society, the Luzerne County Historical Society, and the Lackawanna Historical Society. Light refreshments will be served outside the Sordoni Art Gallery following the presentation.

 

The Sordoni Art Gallery is open to the public and is located at 150 South River Street in the Stark Learning Center on the Wilkes University campus. The Gallery is open daily, from 12 noon to 4:30 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call 570-408-4325. 

###

The Sordoni Art Gallery is currently selling blank greeting cards.  The cost is $6.00 for 4 cards with envelopes (shipping included), larger quantities are available. View available greeting cards below: