Born in Wisconsin in 1874, Lewis Hine had no formal artistic training. He worked in a furniture upholstery factory as a young man in the 1890s and studied education. These experiences directly influenced his work for the National Child Labor Committee.

Hine worked for the American Red Cross during the Great Depression by photographing drought relief in the South. This photo depicts a grandfather and his grandson in eastern Kentucky sitting on log benches huddled around a small fire. At top right, a calendar and hat are hung on the wood wall, suggesting a specific moment in time. Household items line the mantel just out of full view. The placement of the older man’s elbows and legs create the optical illusion of two conjoined arms.