Dorothea Lange – Depression Era Photographer
Dorothea Lange, a name synonymous with poignant visual storytelling, stands as a towering figure in the history of documentary photography. Her work, particularly during the tumultuous years of the Great Depression, not only captured the stark realities of a nation in crisis but also profoundly influenced the very development of the documentary photography genre. Dorothea Lange possessed a unique ability to humanize the abstract concept of economic hardship, transforming statistics into deeply personal narratives etched onto film.
Born Dorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn on May 26, 1895, in Hoboken, New Jersey, her early life was marked by challenges that would shape her perspective and inform her later work. At the age of seven, she contracted polio, leaving her with a weakened right leg and a permanent limp. This physical difference, rather than hindering her, perhaps fostered a deeper sense of empathy and a keen awareness of societal vulnerabilities. Further trauma struck when she was twelve, as her father abandoned the family, an event that prompted her to drop her middle name and adopt her mother’s maiden name, Lange. These formative experiences undoubtedly contributed to her later ability to connect with and portray the struggles of others.
Lange’s journey into photography began with formal studies in New York City. However, the structured environment of the classroom soon gave way to a desire for real-world experience. In 1918, she embarked on a planned global adventure with a friend, a journey that was abruptly cut short in San Francisco, California. Robbed of her belongings, she was forced to remain in the city, where she began working as a portrait photographer. For over a decade, she honed her technical skills and developed an understanding of composition and light, laying the groundwork for her future documentary work.
In 1920, Dorothea Lange married Maynard Dixon, a celebrated artist known for his depictions of the American West. Their union produced two sons, Daniel in 1925 and John in 1930. As the Depression gripped the nation, Lange’s artistic focus began to shift. Witnessing the suffering of those around her, she felt compelled to use her camera to document the social and economic upheaval that was transforming the urban landscape of San Francisco. These early Depression-era photographs marked a turning point in her career, signaling a move away from studio portraiture and towards a more socially conscious form of visual expression.
A pivotal moment arrived in 1934 when an exhibition of her photographs caught the eye of Paul Taylor, an associate professor of economics at the University of California, Berkeley. Taylor, deeply engaged in studying the plight of migrant farmworkers, recognized the power of Lange’s images to convey the human cost of the Depression. In February 1935, they began collaborating, documenting the lives of migrant workers in Nipomo and the Imperial Valley for the California State Emergency Relief Administration. Their combined efforts produced reports that reached Roy Stryker, the head of the Resettlement Administration (later the Farm Security Administration, or FSA). Impressed by Dorothea Lange’s work, Stryker offered her a position in August 1935.
Unlike other photographers employed by the FSA, Lange was permitted to remain based in Berkeley, allowing her to maintain close ties to the communities she was documenting. That winter, she divorced Dixon and married Paul Taylor, solidifying their professional and personal partnership. Together, they embarked on a mission to expose the realities of rural poverty and the struggles of displaced farmers and laborers.
Dorothea Lange’s commitment to documenting the human condition is evident in her powerful images of the Imperial Valley. Returning there in early 1937 for the Resettlement Administration, she encountered a region in crisis. Her February 16, 1937, report to Stryker paints a vivid picture of the dire situation: a landscape overwhelmed by the influx of homeless families seeking work, a relief system strained to its breaking point, and a social structure characterized by exploitation and neglect. The freeze that decimated the crops only exacerbated the already precarious conditions, creating a humanitarian crisis that Lange felt compelled to document.
The mass migration to California, driven by drought, unemployment, and farm foreclosures in the Midwest, brought as many as 6,000 people a month seeking refuge. In their collaborative work, "An American Exodus," Taylor and Lange described these "Okies" and "Arkies" as "scattered like the shavings from a clean-cutting plane." Many of these migrants flocked to the Imperial Valley, drawn by the promise of irrigation water from the newly completed Boulder (Hoover) Dam. However, the increased competition for work only intensified the hardships faced by the migrants, who were already struggling to survive in a harsh and unforgiving environment.
Despite temporary funding shortages that led to layoffs in October 1936, Stryker recognized the importance of Lange’s work and rehired her in late January 1937. The hundreds of photographs she captured that year provide a stark and unflinching portrayal of life in California’s migrant camps. Makeshift shelters along irrigation ditches, the use of irrigation water for basic sanitation, overcrowded relief offices, and the backbreaking labor in the fields – all were documented with her characteristic sensitivity and unflinching eye.
Lange’s photographs were not merely documentation; they were intended to serve as a catalyst for social change. Her images were strategically used to garner support for the Resettlement Administration’s efforts to establish migrant camps in the region. As she wrote to Stryker on March 12, 1937, her "negatives are loaded with ammunition." She understood that her work could be a powerful tool for raising awareness and influencing policy. The photographs were widely disseminated, reaching state emergency relief offices, the U.S. Senate, a WPA exhibit in San Francisco, and publications such as Life magazine. Through this widespread exposure, Lange’s images brought the plight of the migrant workers to the attention of a national audience.
In 1941, Dorothea Lange received a prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship in recognition of her exceptional talent and contributions to photography. However, following the attack on Pearl Harbor, she made the difficult decision to relinquish the award in order to document the forced evacuation and internment of Japanese Americans. Assigned to the War Relocation Authority (WRA), she meticulously photographed the roundups and the conditions within the relocation camps. However, her images were deemed too critical by the Army and were impounded, a testament to the power of her work and its potential to challenge prevailing narratives.
In 1945, at the invitation of Ansel Adams, Lange joined the faculty of the California School of Fine Arts, establishing the first fine art photography department. In 1952, she co-founded the influential photographic magazine Aperture, further solidifying her legacy as a leader and innovator in the field.
Despite suffering from declining health in her later years, including gastric problems, bleeding ulcers, and post-polio syndrome, Dorothea Lange remained dedicated to her craft. She passed away on October 11, 1965, at the age of 70, leaving behind a powerful and enduring body of work that continues to inspire and inform. Dorothea Lange captured a crucial period in American history with empathy and clarity, ensuring that the stories of those who struggled during the Great Depression would not be forgotten. Her legacy as a documentary photographer remains unmatched, a testament to the power of photography to effect social change.