Dorothea Lange was a pioneering female photojournalist who documented the Great Depression and Dust Bowl through her work with the Farm Security Administration. After studying art and photography, she opened her own portrait studio in San Francisco in 1918. Notable projects included documenting families affected by the Dust Bowl who were forced to relocate west in search of work. Her most famous photo "Migrant Mother" captured the struggles of the time. Throughout her career, Lange advocated for the voiceless through impactful imagery that brought awareness of hardship and injustice.

1. DorotheaLange
1895-1965
Dorothea was born on May 26, 1895 in Hoboken New Jersey to Heinrich and Johanna
Nutzhorn. She passed away on October 11th, 1965 after battling esophageal cancer.
After graduating high school she went to New York to study at the New York Training
School for Teachers in 1913. After working ending photo studio in New York City she
decided to attend Columbia University to study art form, and begin working with
various different photographers. She attended Clarence Hudson White’s School of
photography. She relocated to San Francisco in 1918 and opened up her own portrait
studio along with her then husband Maynard Dixon. She felt a deep connection to
people and to give them a voice . She did divorce Dixon and remarried got remarried to
Paul Schuster Taylor in 1935 Lange is mostly known for documentation and
photographs of her time working for the Farm Security Administration which her
assignments included helping people find jobs, but also people who were in desperate
situations due to the Depression.

2. During the 20’s and 30’s she spent much of her time in the Southwest. She documented
farmers and agricultural families and settings. Also, she photographed families trying
to survive in areas subjected to the Dustbowl. In 1941 shwas awarded a Guggenheim
Fellowship for excellence in photography only to give up the award to do an
assignment for the War Relocation Authority to document forced evacuation of
Japanese Americans to internment camps. She has also traveled to other countries on
assignments. In 1954 she went to work for LIFE magazine. Then in 1958 through 1965
she worked as a freelance photographer and traveled to Asia, South America and the
Middle East. Photography was a true passion and love for her. She leaves her two sons,
Daniel and John.
Photo: portrait of Dorothea Lange
Image Source https://www.biography.com/artist/dorothea-lange

3. Photojournalist profile of
Dorothea Lange

4. Dorothea has quite an extensive career path. She went to Columbia university to study art
form, and from there in 1919 she opened her own portrait studio. She began working for
the Farm security administration and it’s at this time with her most popular photographs
were taken. Her job as a documentary photographer, required her to Record and
document people affected by the hard times after experiencing the dustbowl which forced
people in the thousands to move west in search of work. This included families with
children trying to survive. One of her most popular images is named” Migrant Mother”.
She also worked for LIFE magazine for short time, and theWar Relocation Authority. She
did also do freelance work as well.
The subject’s expression in this image shows despair and a look of lost hope. She does not
appear to be overly posed. The two children in the backround compliment the image by
hiding their faces. This gives you the feeling of sadness. The mother is the obvious main
subject and the right amount of light really draws your attention to her facial expression.
Phot by Dorothea Lange
Image Source:
https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/dustbowl/photos/

5. Dorothea’s motivation began when she was very young. At
the age of seven she contracted polio. As a result of this, her
right leg and foot were weakened. Then, just before her
teens, her parents divorced and her father left. Lange used
these struggles she endured as motivation for photojournalism
later in life. She understood what it was late to struggle and
suffer, and felt it was her responsibility to give a voice to
others who were struggling and suffering so the world could
see.

6. Lange worked through the 20’s and 30’s, but also the 40’s and
briefly in the 50’s. This was a time when the country had been
through the Depression, and then the Dust bowl in the mid-
west. During this time frame, most photojournalists were
men. So it was very difficult for women to achieve the same
recognition as men, or even get assignments that were not
associated directly with just women’s issues, like fashion, or
domestic duties. Because the field of photojournalism was
mostly a man’s world, women like Dorothea had to fight very
hard to get attention or to be given a chance.

7. The type of photographic equipment that Lange used was a
Graflex camera in the field size of 4 x 5. During this time,
this was a very popular camera that was used with the press,
and also used for sports. The Graflex camera has the
capability to take images if the subject was in motion
without it being blurry. With this camera she photographed
and documented the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl,
but also when the Japanese-Americans we’re being forced
into internment camps.

8. The ethical dilemma that comes to mind when thinking about the types of photographs
that Lange is widely known for, is photographing extremely sensitive to events in
history. The Depression and the Dust Bowl in the mid-west, created a lot of hardships
for many many people. Desperation, despair, hopelessness, and fear are some of these
promotions that people were experiencing. Having to photograph people who are
experiencing these things does bring up the subject of ethics, especially when they’re at
such a low point in their life. Not knowing where their next meal is going to come
from and where they’re going to lay their head down to go to sleep were major
concerns. Photo by Dorothea Lange
Image Source:
https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/dustbowl/photos/
The texture is evident in this image when looking at the dry barren land. With the
exception of some tumbleweeds, it looks deserted. The little house almost looks as if
the dry dust is burying the side of the house. The image is black and white, and the
right amout of light gives depth and focus to draw your attention.

9. Bias may have played a part in Lange’s photography, because
she knew what it was like to suffer and struggle. Even though
she felt she needed to get the story out, to make people
understand how do these unfortunate events were affecting
people, her deep concern and connection to people could
influence the way she may have taken photos. Her assignment
with the government to document the Japanese Americans
being forced into internment camps, was a government
decision that Lange did not agree with. She could have taken
photographs to make them appear worse than it really was.

10. The impact that Lange’s photos had was huge. She was determined to give
you a voice to those who didn’t have one, and shine a light on the treatment of
people, and bring awareness of the struggles that many people experience
through the Depression. Because of her passion, dedication and motivation
people around the world were able to see these events through her imagery.
She brought to the forefront the horrible treatment that the Japanese-Americans
experienced when they were being forced into internment camps. Her work is
still highly regarded, and people still look at her images today.
Photo by Dorothea Lange
Image Source: http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-151-
370/
The use of lines in this image makes your eyes focus right to the people in line.
Also that the y are standing in the shade against the housing. 3 different lines
make you look at each individual that is in focus. The line of people, line of
shade, and line of the tenement housing. Focus is just right to see everyone.

11. Lange’s career as a photojournalist relates to my major by way of advocacy, giving a
voice, helping others, and to make a difference. I am in the nursing program and it is
my duty as a nurse to advocate for my future patients. Also, hoping I make a difference
in their life and feel like they can trust me to care for them as if they were my own
family. Dorothea wasn’t advocate for all of these people who are struggling, give them
the voice by way of imagery to meet people stand up a notice.
Photo by Dorothea Lange
Image Source: http://ddr.densho.org/ddr-
densho-151-370/
The main subject is the wagon with the children and the mother. It is a
simple shot, which directs your attention ti the fact they are trying to
avoid the sun. The one small shaded area shows the direction of light is
coming from the left, but it makes you wonder how hot it was when the
photo was taken. The main subject is dead center, which gets all of your
attention.

12. As a whole, Dorothea was a woman photojournalist forging
her way in a male dominated field. She had to fight and work
harder to get noticed, or the attention needed to be able to
obtain some recognition that she could be just as good or
even better than some of the men in the same line of work. I
think it’s safe to say she will be remembered as a pioneer in
photojournalism. Her dedication to provide a voice to those
who didn’t have one provided her with the fire that she
needed to push boundaries and fight for awareness for the
people who needed it the most.