Dorothea Lange Research Paper

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Dorothea Lange was an American visionary most famous for her photography during the great depression. Her photographs captured the emotions of the American working class during a time when life in America was most difficult. The photographs and reports she took of the hardships of western rural life shocked the entire United States population and spurred agencies to aid them. Lange’s career was shaped by the west and her legacy continues to inspire photographers today. Dorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn was born to Henry Martin Nutzhorn and Joan Lange Nutzhorn on May 26, 1895 in Hoboken, New Jersey. As a child Dorotheas mother was a stay at home mom while Mr. Nutzhorn was a lawyer. In 1902, at age seven, Dorothea contracted Polio, which distinctively weakened her right leg and foot, leaving her with a crippling limp. Later in life Dorothea would say that contracting Polio had a positive impact on her life. “[It] was the most important thing that happened to me, and formed me, guided me, instructed me, helped me and humiliated me,” (Bio) she said. In 1907, when Dorothea was twelve, her father Henry deserted the family. This incident influenced Dorothea to adopt her mother’s maiden name. Dorothea…show more content…
They surveyed the west documenting the “Taylor-Lange Reports”. The reports led to the funding of the first two emergency California migrant camps. After divorcing Maynard, Dorothea Lange married Paul Taylor in December 1935. Lange held custody of her two boys and Paul had three children from his previous marriage. Soon after the marriage Lange began working for the Farm Security Administration. In 1936 Lange took the most famous photograph of her career, “Migrant Mother”, which became the most iconic photo of the great depression. Lange photographed all across California, the West Coast, and the South. Her famous photographs during the depression era captured the struggles and hopes of a starving
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    Social Realism in the Work of Dorothea Lange (1895-1965) Dorothea Lange was an American photographer who was considered among the first documentary photographers in the history. She worked as a studio portrait photographer before she became a documentary photographer for the Farm Security Administration (FSA) in the 1930s. The aim of this essay is to critically analyze two example of Dorothea Lange’s photographs in relation to social realism in the Depression-era in America. In the period of the

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