For some, a photo is just a beautiful work of art, but for Lewis Hine photography was a way to communicate a message to the world. When Hine was taught the photographic process, it was still being defined. That said, photojournalism was also evolving as a method of communicating information visually. In an effort to improve his photography skills, Hine began photographing Ellis Island immigrants. He was very adamant about social reform and reflected this in his work. Lewis Hine's captivating photos inspired social change in America for the less fortunate. Hine's father died when he was still a child, forcing him to mature early and quickly learn the importance of hard work. Lewis Hine grew up in Oshkosh, Wisconsin in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As a young man he held many jobs, some of which include door-to-door salesman, clerk, and janitor. While working, he also took classes at the University of Wisconsin where he met Frank Manny. Manny, a teacher at the Normal School, encouraged Hine to obtain a teaching certificate. Manny soon became director of the Ethical Culture School in New York, where he hired Hine as a teacher of geography and natural studies. As the director of the Ethical Culture School in New York, Manny wanted a way to document school activities. So Manny chose Hine to learn photography and teach a class: “A life in photography had begun.” In an effort to better understand the medium and inspire his students, Hine traveled to Ellis Island to photograph immigrants arriving in America. He also hoped that his photos would cause his students to "have the same respect for contemporary immigrants as they have for the Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth Rock." H... half of the paper... was saved by the Photo League and is now archived at the George Eastman House. His collection of works consists of 7,000 prints and over 4,000 negatives, as well as 117 brochures, catalogues, periodicals, reviews and articles. With time and our desire to preserve the past, his work has become an important part of documenting American history. Social reform is often necessary and thanks to the works of Lewis Hine children today can have fun like children. Works Cited Fuentes Santos, Mónica, Luis Miguel García Mora, Lewis Hine: From the Collections of George Eastman House, International Museum of Photography and Film: Nederlands Fotomuseum, Rotterdam, 2013Marien, Mary Warner. Photography A cultural history. Upper Saddle River, North Carolina: Prentice Hall, 2002. Rosenblum, Naomi. A world history of photography. New York, NY: Abbeville Publishing Group, 2007.