Steel Workers

Eight men are captured at a moment both dangerous and routine, part of the steelworker's 12-hour day. Botts is likely depicting what was called an open-hearth furnace, used by Andrew Carnegie to dramatically speed up the process and undercut his rivals on price. It was also extremely hazardous to workers. As one said in 1893, "They wipe a man out here every little while." Workers were paid wages barely above poverty; efforts at unionization were met with violence. Despite this and other horrors--for example, the constant noise--Botts emphasizes the mens' capability and coordination. Heroism, even: their actions are dramatically backlit from the fires, and they wear minimal safety equipment. That massive burst at the print's center is barely balanced by the plant's equipment and steelworkers. Labor was building the nation, not wealthy industrialists.

About the Artist

Hugh Pearce Botts, born in 1903 in Cranford, NJ, grew to become an artist skilled in a variety of mediums, including etching, wood engraving, lithography, and drypoint. Though he attended Rutgers University, he did not stay to complete his program, choosing instead to relocate to New York City to study at the Arts Students League. Botts received additional creative training at the National Academy of Design School from 1924 to 1928 and New York’s Beaux Arts Institute of Design. In 1928, Botts was awarded a residency at the Yaddo artists colony, Saratoga Springs. Afterwards, he returned to New York City to work out of a private studio, where he also taught art classes to students and penned articles for well-known publications such as Popular Mechanics. He was employed by the WPA from 1935 to 1943, during which time he produced a multitude of prints and paintings. Botts’ work was exhibited in the Smithsonian Institution in the Division of Graphic Arts of the U.S. National Museums, with 45 of his prints entering the Library of Congress from the exhibit. Botts passed away at age 64 in the care of a nursing home in New Jersey in 1964. In memory of his creative achievements, the Salmagundi Club in New York--in which Botts was a member--offers a yearly prize named for the artist. 94 works and sketches at Memorial Art Gallery. 18 works at Newark Museum of Art. 3 works at Syracuse University Art Museum. 2 works at Smithsonian American Art Museum. 8 images at FAP.

Botts, Hugh Pearce (1903 - 1964)

Cooper, Ken (description)

Casey, Meaghan (biography)

Helquist, Morgan (photography)

New Deal Museum, Mount Morris NY

Object #FA 1054

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Aquatint etching on paper

Image: 12 1/4 x 9 1/2" in.
Framed: 20 5/8 x 17 7/8 in.