Lange, Dorothea << `dawr` oh THEE uh >> (1895-1965), was an American photographer known for her pictures of migratory farmworkers of the 1930’s. Lange’s photographs honestly and sympathetically portray families who were victims of drought and the Great Depression. Her pictures, which appeared in several newspapers and magazines, helped create support for government relief programs for migrant workers. Many of Lange’s photographs were published in her book An American Exodus: A Record of Human Erosion (1939).
Lange was born on May 25 or 26, 1895, in Hoboken, New Jersey. She studied photography at Columbia University. In 1919, she opened a portrait studio in San Francisco. During World War II (1939-1945), Lange photographed Japanese-Americans whom the government moved to relocation camps from their homes on the West Coast. After the war, she photographed Mormon towns, life in California, and other subjects. She also took photographs in Asia, Egypt, Ireland, and South America. Lange died on Oct. 11, 1965.
See also Photography (Dramatic changes) .
