Introduction: The photo I chose for the analyst is “ Migrant Mother” Taken by Dorothea Lange during the Great Depression. Though the entire nation was feeling the turmoil of the Great Depression, Dorothea's way of capturing the harshness was second to none. The image “Migrant Mother” pictures a distressed woman by the name of Florence Owens Thompson with two of her children holding on to her, captured in a makeshift tent in Nipomo, California in March 1936 (MoMa.Org). The image itself is just raw. The kids are turned away and the sheer look of defeat on the woman's face is unreal. It is said that Lange,”created this iconic photograph by emulating well-known Christian iconography of Mary and the infant Jesus in an attempt to compel 1930s viewers …show more content…
Photographer: Dorothea Lange was an influential American documentary photographer and photojournalist known for her compelling range of images depicting social issues such as poverty, displacement, and injustice (Zelasko). Dorthea Lange was born on May 26th, 1895 in Hoboken, New Jersey. She later grew up studying photography at Columbia University in New York City (Zelasko). After university, Dorothea then traveled across the world before settling down for an actual job. After working for a studio and gaining some recognition from previous photographs of unemployed men, Lange was commissioned by the Farm Security Administration in 1935 (Zelasko). Lange's empathetic approach to her subjects and commitment to capturing the human condition made her perfect for capturing the scenes of the Great Depression. As discussed earlier, the Farm Security Administration was the one who employed Dorothea Lange when she captured the famous “Migrant Mother”. She became widely recognized for her work during the Great Depression, including works like “Migrant …show more content…
Composition: The composition of Lange's “Migrant Mother” is very, very simple yet so powerful. As you know, Florence Owens Thompson, the woman pictured, can be seen with a dull face layered in dirt with her kids layed in her arms. Although other pictures from the same series show the entire place where the woman and her children reside, “Migrant Mother” just shows her and her children and it became the most viewed picture. I believe the tight framing of the image allows us to focus on the main subjects without getting distracted. She also could have simply opted to only show the woman's face, but including her two children just adds much more to the photograph as she has to fend for them as well. There are leading lines present. The line formed by Florence Owens Thompson's arm and the children's heads lead the viewer's gaze towards the focal point of her face and her emotion. The contrast between light and shadow makes the scene just look gloomy, even if the style was used on a different subject. Overall, Lange's masterful composition in "Migrant Mother" amplifies the narrative of struggle and survival, sacrifice, and human
a lot of words to be said. The photograph of the “Migrant Mother,” taken in this time period, The Great Depression, has inspired me want to dig deeper into Dorothea Lange’s experience during that time period. When I first saw the photograph of the “Migrant Mother,” I could not get the image out of my head because it tugged at my heart and it is something I have wanted to learn more about since we discussed Dorothea Lange in class. Dorothea Lange is a photographer known for her best work during the
awareness to people who really don’t understand the meaning behind it and photography can too. The sample of a fiction story, “Marigolds” By Eugenia Collier, and the excerpt from the informational portrait, “Migrant Mother” taken by Dorothea Lange, both notify the theme of poverty. Illustrate the story of a young girl who lived in a countryside Maryland during the Great Depression, that introduces the theme of poverty and empathy, and the photographs artist of Dorothea Lange and artist like her provide
Migrant Mother The United States experienced both the Great Depression and harsh weather conditions during the 1930’s causing Americans to suffer through extreme hardship and poverty. Many of the migrant farmers were bankrupt and poverty- stricken, so they were struggling to survive. Photographer and photojournalist, Dorothea Lange, captured the dangerous conditions migrant workers and their families endured through her photograph, Migrant Mother. The photograph shows a woman and children suffering
According to Roy Stryker, Dorothea Lange "had the most sensitivity and the most rapport with people" (Stryker and Wood 41). Dorothea Lange was a phenomenal photographer that seized the hearts of people during the 1930s and beyond, and greatly affected the times of the Great Depression. Dorothea Lange was born on May 26, 1895 in Hoboken, New Jersey. When she was seven years old, she had become lame from polio. Polio lamed her right leg from the knee down. Dorothea said in reference of her childhood
Migrant Mother is a photograph that exemplifies the difficult role of being a single mother during difficult times and has even become a symbol of the Great Depression. As a photo taken of a woman and by a woman, Migrant Mother was revolutionary for its time. While the photograph was hugely popular and successful in raising awareness and donations, it was not so successful in telling the true narrative of its subjects - Florence Owens Thompson and her children. It is important to understand the context
The artist known as Dorothea Lange is renowned as one of the most influential photographers of the Great Depression. This unit of study is focused on the in-depth history of Lange, her art collection as a whole, her aesthetic appeal to the public, and how to apply her work to a production lesson for 4th or 5th grade. Dorothea Lange was born Dorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn in Hoboken, New Jersey on May 25, 1895 to Henry Nutzhorn and Joanna Lange. In 1901 Martin, Dorothea’s brother, was born to the
In the photograph know as the Migrant Mother by Dorothea Lange we can obviously see a very concern mother with three of her children. Two out of the three children seem to be helplessly laying on there mothers shoulders as they seem to seek security within them. The photography's protagonists facial expressions and postures help to form the central theme of fear of the unknown within the photograph. One of the main focus points of the photography is the mother as she seems to stare away from
handled each of the situations they saw. Arthur Rothstein, Dorothea Lange, Ben Shahn, Carl Mydans, Edwin and Louise Rosskam, Gordon Parks, Jack Delano, John Vachon, Marion Post Wolcott, Esther Bubly, Russell Lee, John Collier Jr., Edwin Locke, and Walker Evans are the famous photographers that are discussed in this particular documentary. Almost all of the things that photographers witnessed while working on this project were things that people who lived in the city would never have seen unless they have
indelible and lasting impact on the viewer, as it is often said, “a picture is worth a thousand words”. One of the most significant images of Twentieth Century America was the photograph of a migrant mother holding her child. The photograph was taken during the Great Depression by photographer Dorothea Lange, and has remained an enduring symbol of the hardship and struggle faced by many families during the Depression Era. This image was also an example of the manipulation of photography, however,
Migrant Mother Photograph Analysis This photo of a mother, Florence Owens Thompson and her two young children called, Migrant Mother was taken in March of 1936, a date was not given. This photo was taken by a Dorothea Lange, a photographer who wanted to take pictures of all the bad things happening around her during the great depression. After being taken, this photo was then called, migrant mother.” The photo was taken at a pea picking plant in Nipomo, California. Florence allowed Dorothea to take
titled “Migrant Mother” by Dorothea Lange is one of the most influential pictures throughout American history. The photograph exhibits the Florence Thompson’s face who is seen “with a furrowed forehead, and her two children who are shyly hiding their faces into the shoulders of Thompson” (Lanster, 2017). There are many aspects about why the photograph became one of the most iconic pictures in America. In many ways the pictures depict the effects in which the Great Depression had on parents who were
The picture titled “Migrant Mother” by Dorothea Lange has been made one of the most influential pictures throughout American history. The photograph exhibits the face of Florence Thompson with a furrowed forehead, and her two children who are shyly hiding their faces into the shoulders of Thompson. There are many aspects as to why the photograph became a national picture. In many ways the pictures depicts the effects in which the Great Depression had on parents who were struggling to persevere through
need filled every street corner. Dorothea Lange, a young photographer at the time, found inspiration in the sad eyes of the needy. Through photos such as “Migrant Mother”, Lange captured the desperate sentiment of the decade that no words could demonstrate so clearly. Born on May 26, 1895, Dorothea Lange grew up in Hoboken, New Jersey. As a child of education advocates, Lange attended school, but never with much interest. After completing her academic education, Lange studied art form at Columbia University
An exhibition titled Women of the American Exodus featuring Dorothea Lange’s works will be taking place at an art studio in Nipomo, California where Lange’s famous picture Migrant Mother was taken. Lange is a documentary photographer and used the photographs that she shot to chronicle significant and historical events whose subjects were most often those affected by the Great Depression and poverty (Cathy Ostrom Peters). The pictures are arranged into order of increasing age of the subject in a dimly
common of people. Somebody who came from nothing could grow to become a respected leader. But what the citizens of America did not realize was that somebody who was well off could plummet to the bottom just as easily. They didn’t realize that there were no miracles that didn’t come from hard work, that they couldn’t just strike it rich and climb the ranks without effort. They didn’t realize how hard it was, how gruesome America really was for the people who couldn’t get lucky, who couldn’t afford to feed