Dorothea Lange | Long may we remember

Today in Mighty Girl history, the influential documentary photographer and photojournalist Dorothea Lange was born in 1895. Lange is most widely known for her Depression-era work documenting the realities of life for poor and oft-forgotten Americans, and bringing their experiences into public awareness. Her talent resulted in a Guggenheim Fellowship for excellence in photography in 1941 making her the first woman to receive the honor.

Born in Hoboken, New Jersey, Lange’s journey as a photographer began as a college student and then an informal apprentice in New York City. By 1918 she had moved to San Francisco and established a successful portrait studio, catering to upper class clients. However, a cultural shift changed her course and led to her lasting fame as a documentary photographer.

At the start of the Great Depression, Lange began to focus her work on the unemployed and homeless people on the streets in San Francisco. Her powerful black-and-white images led to a position with the Federal Resettlement Administration, later called the Farm Security Administration, highlighting the plights of sharecroppers, migrant workers and other members of agricultural communities.

Her striking photography brought awareness and humanity to marginalized groups across the nation. Subsequent projects included recording the Japanese-American internment camp evacuations, among other topics, but today her most recognizable work is “Migrant Mother,” from her Depression-era series. To view a selection of Lange's famous photographs, visit the MoMA website at http://bit.ly/1ns93Wv

For a fascinating book on her life for readers ages 10 and up, we recommend "Restless Spirit: The Life and Work of Dorothea Lange" at http://www.amightygirl.com/restless-spirit

To learn about our favorite Mighty Girl stories set during the Great Depression, check out "The Gardener" for ages 4 to 8 (http://www.amightygirl.com/the-gardener), "The Mighty Miss Malone" for ages 9 to 13 (http://www.amightygirl.com/the-mighty-miss-malone), "Moon Over Manifest" for ages 9 to 14 (http://www.amightygirl.com/moon-over-manifest), "Out of the Dust" for ages 9 to 13 (http://www.amightygirl.com/out-of-the-dust), and "Esperanza Rising" for 11+ (http://www.amightygirl.com/esperanza-rising).

For books for young readers about the Japanese-American internment camp evacuations during WWII, we recommend "A Place Where Sunflowers Grow" for 6 to 10 (http://www.amightygirl.com/a-place-where-sunflowers-grow), "So Far From the Sea" for ages 5 to 9 (http://www.amightygirl.com/so-far-from-the-sea), "Weedflower" for ages 10 to 14 (http://www.amightygirl.com/weedflower), and "Journey to Topaz" for ages 9 and up (http://www.amightygirl.com/journey-to-topaz).

And, for stories of girls and women living through poverty and hardship like those depicted in many of Lange’s famous works, visit our “Hardship/Poverty” section at http://www.amightygirl.com/books/social-issues/poverty-hardship

I am all too often disillusioned about the misuse of online social media. I do not care to see entertaining pet tricks or the food anyone chooses to eat at a meal.  Pictures of these meals seem little more to me than an extraordinary lack of creative imagination, as well as an inordinate waste of energy and time.  Today, fortunately, is an exception for which I am grateful. A Mighty Girl shared a posting on Facebook, both acknowledging and honoring a woman I've long believed contributed greatly to America's knowledge of the trials and tribulations suffered and endured by working poor. She photographed these people with compassion and the respect each deserved. I am indebted to A Mighty Girl for this post about Dorothea Lange. Thank you. 

Stephanie Doty
Women’s Issues Matter
May 27, 2014
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/