The work of Dorothea Lange, who captured The work of Dorothea Lange, who captured the Great Depression through her lens and the Great Depression through her lens and

created some of the iconic images of that era. created some of the iconic images of that era. As we go through our own hard times, some As we go through our own hard times, some retrospect may be what is needed for their retrospect may be what is needed for their

contextualizationcontextualization.” She had personal She had personal challenges in her own challenges in her own life such as a life such as a crippling case of polio crippling case of polio and later some other and later some other chronic health chronic health problems. problems.

Lange was left with a Lange was left with a permanent limp and a permanent limp and a spirit determined to spirit determined to conquer it. Because conquer it. Because of her physical of her physical restriction, her restriction, her photographs would photographs would become ones of become ones of contemplation, not contemplation, not confrontation.confrontation.

Supported by Supported by government government programs and new programs and new picture magazines picture magazines like LIFE, Dorothea like LIFE, Dorothea Lange and other Lange and other photographers of photographers of the 1930s and '40s the 1930s and '40s created an indelible created an indelible record of everyday record of everyday life in difficult life in difficult times. The Great times. The Great Depression caused Depression caused many many photographers to photographers to consider the consider the camera as an camera as an instrument of social instrument of social change. change.

Portrait of American Portrait of American photographer Dorothea Lange atop a Ford Model B car in 1936. Lange is best known for her Depression-era work for the Farm Security Administration.

"Migrant Mother" "Migrant Mother" by Dorothea Lange by Dorothea Lange captured the face captured the face of the American of the American struggle during the struggle during the Great Depression Great Depression with her portrait of with her portrait of Florence Owens Florence Owens Thompson. This Thompson. This photograph was photograph was one of six Lange one of six Lange shot in February shot in February 1936 in California.1936 in California.

Florence Florence Thompson was a 32 Thompson was a 32 year old mother year old mother who was desperate who was desperate to find enough field to find enough field work to keep her work to keep her seven children seven children from dying. Lange from dying. Lange captured the captured the misery of the misery of the Depression as well Depression as well as the rays of hope as the rays of hope that many held on that many held on to.to.

Nipomo, California. Nipomo, California. Lange was Lange was concluding a concluding a month's trip month's trip photographing photographing migratory farm labor migratory farm labor around the state for around the state for what was then the what was then the Resettlement Resettlement Administration. In Administration. In 1960, Lange gave 1960, Lange gave this account of the this account of the experience: experience:  “I saw “I saw and approached the and approached the hungry and hungry and desperate mother, desperate mother, as if drawn by a as if drawn by a magnet. I do not magnet. I do not remember how I remember how I explained my explained my presence or my presence or my camera to her, but I camera to her, but I do remember she do remember she asked me no asked me no questions.questions.

I made five exposures,I made five exposures, working closer and closer from the same working closer and closer from the same direction. I did not ask her name or her history. She told me her age, direction. I did not ask her name or her history. She told me her age, that she was thirty-two. She said that they had been living on frozen that she was thirty-two. She said that they had been living on frozen vegetables from the surrounding fields, and birds that the children vegetables from the surrounding fields, and birds that the children killed. She had just sold the tires from her car to buy food. There she killed. She had just sold the tires from her car to buy food. There she sat in that lean- to tent with her children huddled around her, and sat in that lean- to tent with her children huddled around her, and seemed to know that my pictures might help her, and so she helped seemed to know that my pictures might help her, and so she helped me. There was a sort of equality about it.” (From: Popular me. There was a sort of equality about it.” (From: Popular Photography, Feb. 1960).Photography, Feb. 1960).

While striving While striving for truth in for truth in her her photographs, photographs, Lange held Lange held no fantasy no fantasy that she or that she or the viewer the viewer could could understand understand the the ultimately ultimately unknowable unknowable inner lives of inner lives of her subjects, her subjects, believing believing instead that instead that her best her best photographs photographs should ask should ask questions. questions.

With an With an unobtrusive unobtrusive documentardocumentary style y style marked by a marked by a gift for gift for compositioncomposition, gesture , gesture and natural and natural light, light, Lange's Lange's photographs photographs elevated her elevated her subjects to subjects to a place of a place of grace and grace and dignity, dignity, despite despite their their desperate desperate conditions.conditions.

She continued her She continued her intensely personal intensely personal work after the work after the Depression, creating Depression, creating series on the forced series on the forced relocation of Japanese relocation of Japanese Americans during Americans during World War II, Irish World War II, Irish country life, and country life, and postwar suburban postwar suburban California, among California, among many other projects. many other projects.