Dorothea Lange: The Photographer of Depression-Era Rural America
Dorothea Lange was an American documentary photographer who is best known for Migrant Mother, an iconic photo of the Great Depression. Her work helped Americans see the devastating effects of the depression on rural America, and Lange is now celebrated as a pioneer in the field of documentary photography.
Lange was born Dorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn in Hoboken, New Jersey, on May 26, 1895, but she grew up and attended public schools and college in New York City. Her father abandoned the family when Lange was just twelve, leading her to drop her birth surname (Nutzhorn) in favor of her mother’s maiden name (Lange).
