Lewis Hine (American, 1874–1940), born in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, dedicated much of his photographic career, which began shortly after he bought his first camera in 1903, to exposing the social evils of the industrial revolution in the United States. He photographed the poverty of newly arrived immigrants and the street and factory life of working children. Many of these were published in such early collections as Charities and the Commons (1908) and Day Laborers Before Their Time (1909). Hine's dedication and straightforward, poignant images helped to bring about the passage of child-protection legislation in 1916. After his successful campaign against child labor, Hine began working for the Red Cross during the First World War. While in Europe he photographed the living conditions of French and Belgian civilians suffering from the impact of the war. Though he received much notoriety during his lifetime, Hine's noble pursuits earned him little money and died in extreme poverty at the age of sixty-six.