Even if you don’t know the name of the photographer, you almost certainly recognize the photo above.
If you’re familiar with the name “Dorothea Lange,” you probably think of her photos of the Great Depression. Prior to 1933, she worked in a portrait studio. But she made a name for herself when she began capturing the Depression on film.
While Lange is best known for her work during the 1930s, her career didn’t end after the Depression. The U.S. government hired her to take photos of the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. Unfortunately, her pictures clearly show her opposition to the internment, so the U.S. Army suppressed them. Among these pictures are photos of Japanese American children saying the Pledge of Allegiance, a shot of a Japanese American soldier helping his mother prepare for internment, a photo of a ranch house with the note “This was the home of eight children who were born in this country,” and several pictures of horse stalls converted into living quarters for families.
Like all great artists, Lange was able to convey something of her subjects’ humanity through her work. As you view the world through her camera lens, you get the sense that she respected the human dignity of the people whose lives she captured on film. Lange was a visual storyteller; her photos are the embodiment of the saying “a picture is worth a thousand words.”
When I wrote about Artemisia Gentileschi, I challenged readers to think of five or more female artists. I hope Lange will be one of the women you mention on such a list. Spend some time with her photos. You’ll come away with a better understanding of history and a desire to truly see the worth of each person you encounter.