Made In America

As a long time fan of B/W photography, I was delighted to discover in our local post office this weekend a set of postage stamps from two early masters of the medium. Unbeknownst to me, the US Postal Service recently issued a limited edition set of stamps designed to celebrate the American worker as captured through the lens of Lewis Hine and Margaret Bourke- White.

The “Made in America: Building a Nation” U.S. Postal Service stamp issuance, launched Aug. 8, honors the workers. (Courtesy US Postal Service)

Photo Credit: Lewis Hine, Courtesy of George Eastman House, International Museum of Photography and Film. (Courtesy US Postal Service)

Whenever I consider images from this period, I immediately reflect not only on the power of the work itself, but the conditions and risks Hines and others took to create them.  Whether Hine’s image at right of a worker dangling from a crane or Bourke White’s female welder, these were dangerous places for photographers to practice their craft and as such elevate them from mere portraits to participants in the industry being depicted.

If you are a fan of classic white black and white photography make sure you get a set (or four) of these classic images to adorn you next letter, package or postcard.  Your fellow photo loving friends and family will thank you.

To celebrate contemporary images of manufacturing and industry, see our gallery featuring work from Brownie Harris, Shannon Faulk, John Henley and many others.