Dorothea Lange

Dorothea Lange, Migrant Mother, Nipomo Valley, 1935, Gelatin Silver Print.


What you need to know about Dorothea Lange:

Dorothea Lange was hired by the United States Government during the Great Depression to travel the country and document its people, as well as the effects of the Great Depression.

What is the Great Depression:

Beginning with the crash of the stock market in 1929, the Great Depression was a time of economic hardship in the USA, that spanned from 1929 until the beginning of WWII. At certain periods during the Great Depression, unemployment rose to over 30%.

Why was Dorothea Lange hired by the government:

In an initiative by the FSA (Farm Security Administration), many notable photographers were hired to show what life was like on the farm during the Great Depression. This was to document the time period, as well as to provide employment for the arts. Check out this site for more photographs from the Great Depression by other photographers. http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe30s/water_14.html

Many of Dorothea Lange's photographs are compelling because she catches her subjects off-gaurd, going about their daily lives.

Questions:
1. Describe the photograph.
2. How does the artist create movement?