Dorothea Lange (American, 1895-1965), Migrant Mother, 1936, Photograph: nitrate film negative, 4 x 5 in., Washington, D.C., Library of Congress Collection
In honor of what would have been Dorothy Lange’s 125th birthday today, we are sharing one of the photographer’s most celebrated images, Migrant Mother. This print from the Library of Congress is included, along with 75 other historic objects, in our virtual reality app “Boulevard presents American Experience.”
Dorothea Lange was one of several photographers who documented the suffering of rural Americans during the 1930s. Many artists, like Lange, worked for the federal government under President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal programs. These programs sought to stabilize the nation’s troubled economy and provide relief to the millions of unemployed Americans.
This photograph of a migrant farm worker, Florence Owens Thompson, and her children has become an enduring symbol of the Great Depression. Its power lies in its ability to evoke a sense of compassion and vulnerability, alongside a sense of hope for resilience in trying times.