Quote from Susan Sontag

A while ago we were asked to read Susan Sontag's On Photography and take a look at the quotes listed in the back of the book. I picked the following quote to reflect upon:

If I could tell the story in words, I wouldn't need to lug a camera. - Lewis Hine

The reason that I chose this quote in particular has to do with the fact that I led the seminar discussion last week where we were discussing documentary impulses and the place of the photo-essay. This form of photography relies heavily on the written word to accompany photographs, so I felt that this juxtaposed with how Lewis Hine articulated in his quote. From Hine's quote, it seems as though he feels that photographic images are able to speak in a way that words cannot articulate.

I did a quick google search for some of Lewis Hine's work, in order to see how he employs language with his photographs, and stumbled upon the following link which contains Lewis' work along with original captions made by Lewis.

The caption that Lewis used for this particular photograph reads: October 1911. Lowell, Mass. Standing: Michael Keefe, 32 Marion St., been at work in No. 1 mule room, Merrimac [Textile] Mill, eight months. Apparently 13 years old. John Risheck, 391 Adams St.; Cornelius Hurley, 298 Adams St., been at work in No. 1 mule room in Merrimac Mill for six months. About 13 or 14 probably. Sitting: John Neary, 211 Lakeview Ave.; smallest is Robert Magee, 270 Suffolk St. Apparently 12 years old. Been working in Mule Room No. 1, Merrimac Mill, one year. Photo and caption by Lewis Wickes Hine

After reading the caption for the image, I wonder how Hine would feel about the value of the photo-essay, and if he felt that his work fell into this genre. From the above caption, I believe that his work fits in quite well with the nature of documentary photography, as his aim with his photographs was to bring awareness to child labour, a practice that he felt quite strongly against. It seems to be quite in contrast to his quote, but it leads me to wonder if he would feel the same way. Perhaps he would argue that, without the photograph, he would not be  able to tell the story of child workers in a compelling way. From this quote, I feel that Hine would argue that although the words may add to our understanding of the picture, it is the picture that comes first before the text. This is in contrast to our readings about the photo-essay which felt that the image and the text were equal contributors to our final understanding of the image.