Dorothea Lange is one of the most important American photographers of the 20th century. She used her documentary photography to powerfully portray the plight of farmers and workers during the Great Depression . In particular, her masterpiece, Migrant Mother, is widely known as a symbol of the Great Depression. Lange's photographs raised awareness of social inequality and poverty, and had the power to promote social change.

Dorothea Lange Biography

• Born May 26, 1895 in Hoboken, New Jersey, USA
• In the 1910s, he opened a photography studio in New York.
• In the 1930s, he participated in a Farm Security Administration (FSA) project photographing people affected by the Great Depression.
• Documenting Japanese American Internment Camps in the 1940s
• Since the 1950s, he has traveled around the world and taken photographs on the theme of social issues.
• Died October 11, 1965, San Francisco, California (age 70)

Representative works

• Migrant Mother (1936)
• White Angel Breadline (1933)
• Family on Their Way to a Relocation Camp (1942)
• Irish Country People (1954)

Lang's style and achievements

Lang's photographs are characterized by a deep empathy for her subjects and a strong awareness of social issues. She took a direct look at socially vulnerable people, such as farmers and laborers during the Great Depression and Japanese-American internment camps , capturing their suffering and dignity in her photographs.

Lang's masterpiece, "Migrant Mother," is an iconic photograph of the Great Depression that captures the expression of a mother suffering from poverty and hunger . This photograph shocked people around the world and raised awareness of social inequality and poverty issues.

Lang is one of the pioneers of documentary photography , whose aim is to promote social change through photography . Her photographs continue to inspire many people today and provide an opportunity for them to think about social issues.