An Essay on Dorothea Lange’s “Migrant Mother”

One of the most famous and most reproduced pictures in the history of photography, known under the title Migrant Mother, was taken 90 years ago by documentary photographer Dorothea Lange. Working for the Resettlement Administration of the US government at that time, the picture was first published in March 1936 with the caption “Destitute pea pickers in California. Mother of seven children. Age thirty-two. Nipomo, California. 1936”. It later became a symbol of America’s Great Depression and beyond. 

In his essay, David Campany reflects on the iconic status of this image and what it entails: disconnected from its original context, the single picture becomes an isolated symbol, claiming timelessness and being charged with different meanings that migrate over time. The author here reconnects the photograph to its historical origins, analyses its circulation in the mass media through the decades, and comes to critically ask questions about the image and its underlying reality and about the constructed icon and its multiple layers from a today’s perspective.

Our photography book collection contains numerous items about Dorothea Lange’s work and career, available in the arts section on the second floor of our Reading Room and on a-z.lu. Further online articles about the photographer and this particular picture may also be found in our digital offer through a-z.lu.