Dorothea Lange

Artist Biography

Dorothea Lange was an established American photographer and photojournalist. Her most notable work is often considered to be the 1936 photograph, 'Migrant Mother' of Florence Owens Thompson, with three of her six young children.

Lange was adamant from a young age that she would become a photographer and studied the subject at Columbia University, New York City. Lange worked as an apprentice for several New York photography studios, including that of the famed Arnold Genthe. She left New York in 1918 to travel the world but her trip was cut short and she worked for a photography supply shop in San Francisco, where she began to network with other photographers and investors.

Despite her success Lange had little interest in studio work or photographing San Francisco's socialites, and as the Great Depression began, discovered that her photography could be used as a means to document the social and economic changes happening throughout America. Lange's tireless commitment for social justice and her belief in the power of photography was consistent throughout her career. She strove to reconnect with the world through her lens and to confront the urgent circumstances surrounding her.

Dorothea Lange Art, Prints and Posters Collection