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Discovering a Purpose: Early Documentary Work
THE DEPRESSION
Beginning in the early 1930s, America suffered an economic crisis that lasted nearly a decade—the Great Depression. Until then, Dorothea Lange had been a successful portrait photographer. But the events of the time prompted her to leave the safety of her studio to create powerful images of people in crisis—Dust Bowl refugees, migrant workers, and the urban homeless. Through her photographs, La
Beginning in the early 1930s, America suffered an economic crisis that lasted nearly a decade—the Great Depression. Until then, Dorothea Lange had been a successful portrait photographer. But the events of the time prompted her to leave the safety of her studio to create powerful images of people in crisis—Dust Bowl refugees, migrant workers, and the urban homeless. Through her photographs, Lange hoped to create awareness of their suffering and the need for government relief.
Everyone was so shocked and panicky. No one knew what was ahead.
