Dorothea Lange Gallery

Dorothea Lange

Dorothea Lange was born into a German family on May 26th of 1895 in New Jersey. Lange went to Columbia University in New York City and soon became a well known American documentary photographer who worked for the Farm Security Administration (FSA) (previously known as the federal Resentment Administration or RA). She was one of the most prominent photojournalists during the time of Depression. Her work is known to depict some of the Depression’s greater consequences including unemployment and homelessness. 

The photograph to the left, by photographer Dorothea Lange, depicts Oklahoma drought refugees in a migratory camp in California in 1936. The 1930s are known to have been one of the toughest decades of American history. This was the time of the Great Depression. Inhabitants of the Southern Great Plains were those most affected since many were farmers. These people underwent and endured dangerous sand storms known as "dusters". The Great Plains came to be known as the Dust Bowl. The causes are still questioned today but the consequences are unimaginable.

During this time of the Great Depression and The Dust Bowl banks were failing, businesses were closing and many workers became unemployed. Homelessness and unemployment were some of the greater consequences. While many stayed in their farms hoping to survive, others left. The unbearable conditions practically forced approximately three million plain settlers to move out of their farms. Many migrated to neighboring states, towns but also California. The boys above are part of the group known as the Okies, a derogatory term used to refer to Oklahoma residents. The evident issue was the dusters caused by drought, overproduction, lack of education and even advances in technology. The governments responsibility was to aid those in need of helps, especially the farmers. The only possible solution was what those affected did, leave everything behind and move on, maybe to somewhere new.