Read + Write + Report
Home | Start a blog | About Orble | FAQ | Blogs | Writers | My Orble | Login

Migrant Mother America 1930s depression

February 15th 2009 09:44
This widely reproduced photograph, which has become known as "Migrant Mother" is one of a series of photographs taken by Dorothea Lange, of Florence Owens Thompson and her children in February or March of 1936 in Nipomo, California. Lange was travelling around California photographing migratory farm labour for the Resettlement Administration.

Accompanying notes stated "Migrant agricultural worker's family. Seven hungry children. Mother aged 32, the father is a native Californian. Destitute in a pea pickers camp, because of the failure of the early pea crop. These people had just sold their tent in order to buy food. Most of the 2,500 people in this camp were destitute."

In Popular Photography magazine, Feb. 1960, Lange gave this account:
I saw and approached the hungry and desperate mother, as if drawn by a magnet. I do not remember how I explained my presence or my camera to her, but I do remember she asked me no questions. I made five exposures, working closer and closer from the same 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 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 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 me. There was a sort of equality about it.

50
Vote

   

   

   

[ Link ]
Posted By: BobB - Category: No Category
Related Posts:

Comments
2 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by Cheryl J

February 15th 2009 14:02


Rhythmatism
Zentertainment
Budget Centsability
As they say "a picture is worth a thousand words". These photo show the utter hopelessness of their plight. Magnificent photography - incredibly sad subject. Thanks for the background info.

Comment by BobB

February 15th 2009 23:27


FILMENATOR
EveryPictureTellsaStory
Cheryl, a picture does convey so immediately much more than words. Dorothea Lange's work must have been crucial documentation that assisted in government aid being given to these people, and to think this poor woman was only 32.

Add A Comment

To create a fully formatted comment please click here.


CLICK HERE TO LOGIN | CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Name or Orble Tag
Home Page (optional)
Comments
Bold Italic Underline Strikethrough Separator Left Center Right Separator Quote Insert Link Insert Email
Notify me of replies
Notify extra people about this comment
Is this a private comment?
List the Email Addresses or Orble Tags of the people you would like to be notified about this comment


One per line max of 30

List the Email Addresses or Orble Tags of the people you would like to be notified about this private comment thread. Only the people in this list will be able to see or reply to your comment.


One per line max of 30

Your Name
(for the email going out to the above list, it can be different to your Orble Tag)
Your Email Address
(optional)
(required for reply notification)
Submit
More Posts
June 2009
1 Posts
May 2009
3 Posts
February 2009
7 Posts
Older Posts
20 Posts dating from October 2008
Email Subscription
Receive e-mail notifications of new posts on this blog:
0
[ View Blog Summary ] [ Create A New Post ] [ Add A Comment ]

BobB's Blogs

72 Vote(s)
9 Comment(s)
8 Post(s)
Moderated by BobB
Copyright © 2006 2007 2008 On Topic Media PTY LTD. All Rights Reserved. Design by Vimu.com.
On Topic Media ZPages: Sydney |  Melbourne |  Brisbane |  London |  Birmingham |  Leeds     [ Advertise ] [ Contact Us ] [ Privacy Policy ]