She was born in Hoboken, New Jersey in 1985. At age seven, Dorothea developed polio, impairing her right leg and ability to walk-- she lived her whole life with a permanent limp. But this impairment didn't stop her from becoming successful. She started her education in photography in New York, and later moved to San Francisco in her early 20's and opened her own portrait studio. She loved California and lived in Berkeley for the rest of her life. She got married at age 25 to a painter by the name of Maynard Dixon. They had two sons, Daniel and John. She ended up divorcing Dixon in 1935 and married Paul Taylor, a professor at University of California, Berkeley.
Dorothea Lange is famous mostly for her shots of the Great Depression. As this ordeal arose all around her, she decided to stop working in her studio, and move to the streets and the people. She captured shots of the hungry and homeless both recording history and bringing the surrounding poverty to public attention. Together with her second husband, she documented this poverty and economic struggle; Paul gathering data and Dorothea photographing. She worked with federal companies like the Resettlement Administration and the Farm Security Administration, making her work icons of this era of depression.
She won many awards and recognitions due to this work, also for her work of wars and their effects. She died of esophageal cancer at age 70, but left behind an unforgettable legacy.
This photo shows physically and emotionally the state of not only this woman, but of many people during the time. Both the dirt and concern on her face tell a story and genuinely represents the Depression.
This frame also represents exactly what people were going through. It shows how men are searching for work and supplies to provide for their family, while others have given up hope. It tells the story intended through its great composition and contrast not in color, but in expression.
This photo shows the depression from a different perspective. It doesn't tell us about the concern of the people, but about what causes this concern. This officer represents the unfairness that some had to deal with.
