Great Depression Photos

Slideshow By: Erin McHugh

Dorothea Lange

In this photograph, Lange captures the hardships of a family struggling to get by in the Great Depression.

Here Lange shows a young boy working in the fields, revealing that children are losing their childhood’s due to the need to start helping to provide for their families at such a young age.

This image captures the living conditions of the average family during the Great Depression, showing how primitive their lives had become.

Lange photographs a mother with her kids, all in rags, living in a makeshift camp.

In this image, Lange still manages to capture the impact of the Great Depression in a photo that only shows a pair of feet.

This photograph shows children of the era, not out and playing, but helping their parents to get food.

Lange captures an image of men of the Great Depression taking a much needed break from all their hard work.

Another breathtaking photograph by Lange, showing a woman shielding herself from the scorching sunlight with an umbrella and a hat.

This photo shows an exhausted woman working hard like many other woman of the time were doing also.

Migrant MotherThis photograph, known as Migrant Mother, is by far Lange’s most famous photo. It can be found in almost any textbook or website about the Great Depression. When thinking of the Great Depression, this image is often the first thing that comes to mind. Lange captured the mother’s emotions beautifully. I love how you can see the worry and anxiousness on her face, it gives you a glimpse into how difficult life of the time was and how she was feeling. You can see how real the emotions are because the woman isn’t posing for the camera. The children resting their heads on her give even more of a dramatic effect and explains to us part of her worry. Not only does the image show how tough the times really were, but it shows a strong and brave woman to give an example to all the other woman of the time struggling. There’s nothing I particularly dislike about this photo, but a better background would make the photograph even better. Overall, it is a stunning shot and wonderfully captures the struggles of the Great Depression.

All photographs found from http://www.shorpy.com/dorothea-lange-photographs

Works Cited