In Dorothea Lange’s photograph it is easy to see the connection to the Great Depression. The weary and hopeless face of the mother in the background is what I noticed first. The man in the fore ground still has hope and joy in his eyes, at least thats what I see. The title of this photo tells about what is going on. Drought refugees hoping for cotton work BLythe CA, 1936. This family is living in poor conditions typical of the Great Depression. They appear to be under a tent on boards. The child’s feet are dirty as are the hands of the man. It is clear the mattresses are thin as well. I like this photo quite a bit because of the way the sun shines behind the mother in a very angel like way. and the clear detail of tree and boards and lines of the man’s forehead. They all combine to create a striking image of life in the Great Depression.
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You appear to have all the required documentation above. I also think the man is just waiting for work; he doesn’t look at all stressed at this point. Now the lady holding the baby I think is wondering what she is going to do next. This must have been a really hard time for people.
This photo stirs a sadness in me. I know the heartache of desperate mothers was more than common in this place in history. The struggles families faced are unimaginable. The man in the picture, I would guess, is fighting to not show his fear. The fearful are vulnerable and as a protector of his family- there was a true need for him to appear stronger, braver, and more hopeful than he may be. It is also sad to me knowing that in present day America many families face the same plight.
I appropriate your recognize of angle and light in this photograph. That is always more difficult for me to recognize. I do want to know this family’s story. I would like to know who they are and where their path went before or after this photograph. I would love to talk to them, to understand them. In my work I am a Family Advocate, this picture makes me think of attainable goals, family strengths and next steps, but that is not at all what this class is about.
Your post here was insightful. It was very descriptive, but lacked any source knowledge. I do recognize that may have been difficult to obtain for a piece such as this, but I have a sincere interest-I am going to look it up. Thanks for sharing and enjoy your summer!
Hi! Awesome picture! I really enjoy photography work by Dorothea Lange. This picture really hits your heart on what they had to go through during The Great Depression. One can feel all the sadness any worry in the mother and father. Good job! You had all or your information needed, but you forgot to italicize the title of the photograph and list your sources. Do you like any other photography by Dorothea Lange? Great job, (:
Hey, nice picture. Seems to fit well with the era. I saw the same thing when I first looked at the picture. Seems as though the mother sorta steals the photo. The father also displays the hopelessness the era tended to infect people with. Good blog, its nice hearing a lot of your personal thoughts on this picture :D.
Great picture, Dorothy Lange’s photography is heartbreaking but it captures nothing more than what was happening at that time. The mother seems like she’s living in the reality of being homeless while the father seems to know of some secret only he is aware of, to save his family from poverty. I didn’t notice any italics in the photographer’s name of the title of the works but all in all it was a great post.