Dorothea Lange

Dorothea Lange (readreidread.wordpress.com)

Would you be able to handle going from place to place taking pictures during the Great Depression? Dorothea Lange did and she handled it extremely well. Lange was born on May 26, 1895 in the town of Hoboken, New York. Her name at birth was Dorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn. Through out her life things were very complicated and rough. As she grew up things got better but she still had complications. Dorothea Lange had a hard life because her father left at a young age; She contracted polio as a child, and was a photographer for the Great Depression.

--Dorothea Lange (americanswhotellthetruth.org)

In the year of 1907 Dorothea’s father walked out on her and her mother, Joan. They neither saw nor heard from him again. When this happened Dorothea dropped her father's last name and took her mothers maiden name. After he left, Dorothea and her mother packed everything up and moved in with Sophia Lange and her Great-Aunt Caroline. Sophia Lange was Dorothea’s maternal grandmother. There Joan became a librarian in Manhattan. Dorothea would walk in downtown Manhattan to meet her mother after school. Then and there Dorothea found her calling for photography.

Photo taken by Dorothea Lange (nosmalldreams-allie.blogspot.com)

At the age of seven Dorothea contracted polio. This disease left her with an obvious limp. The children around her neighborhood would make fun of her and even her own mother acted ashamed of her crippled daughter. During this time there was no treatment. Although she compensated well for her disability, she always walked with a limp.

Famous Photo by Dorothea Lange (photokaboom.photogrowth.com)

Dorothea’s profession was a photographer during the Great Depression. Although Dorothea’s mother wanted her to become a teacher, she did differently. Instead Dorothea went to the Uptown Studio of the famous photographer, Arnold Genthe. There she asked for a job and was later hired. She was to take photographs of homeless pea-pickers and refuges of the Dust Bowl. There she would talk to them until they felt comfortable enough to have their pictures taken. This was only the beginning of her career.

Photograph Taken By Dorothea Lange (saradummerphotography.blogspot.com)

After having your father walk out on your family, contracting polio, and being a photographer during the Great Depression would you be able to handle it? By the 1960’s Dorothea was nationally known as a photographer. After this complicated life Dorothea had, she passed away on October 11, 1965. She had a very fulfilling life; although it was complicated she lived it to the fullest. After overcoming all these events and still being successful, she is someone I will always look up to.