On September 13 at AFL-CIO headquarters in Washington, DC, the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) announced the release of a collectible photo book of renowned labor and occupational health photographer Earl Dotter, "Life's Work: A 50 Year Photographic Chronicle of Working in the U.S.A." Often referred to as the "American Worker's Poet Laureate," Dotter illustrates the conditions and impact of those who work in dangerous and unhealthy environments. 

The 500 beautifully reproduced images each are a personalized testimony to the constant toll taken on workers, from asbestos exposure to environmentally-related exposure to hazardous chemicals. The book contains highlights from exhibits Dotter has created since he first photographed coal miners in 1968 and on up through the present time. Thirty recognized experts, such as Peg Seminario, AFL/CIO Safety and Health Director and Marcy Goldstein-Gelb, Co-Executive Director at the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health, introduce each of the 15 chapters and add illustrated observations on specific related issues at the close of each chapter, significantly broadening the scope of this source of distinguished workplace images. 

"Compelling images and audio alone may not change the world, but they demand attention to those who might otherwise be ignored. They give voice to the voiceless and display the faces of the faceless. They expose us to their workplace and worlds. They remind us that work is sacred. And that every worker deserves fair play, fair treatment and the ability to return home every day, whole and healthy and alive." Howard Berkes, Correspondent, Investigations, National Public Radio.

This powerfully visual occupational, environmental and public health documentary closes with an illustrated postscript section, where for the first time Dotter traces his photographic trajectory. 

AIHA previously published Dotter's first book: "Quiet Sickness: A Photographic Chronicle of Hazardous Work in America" (1998), which is currently out of print. 

For more information visit AIHA Publications.