State Historical Society of Iowa

"Migrant Mother" Florence Thompson with Her Children in Nipomo, California, February/March 1936

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Courtesy of Library of Congress, Lange, Dorothea, "Migrant agricultural worker's family. Seven hungry children. Mother aged thirty-two. Father is native Californian. Nipomo, California," February/March 1936

Description

This photograph by Dorothea Lange is part of a well-known collection taken of Florence Thompson with several of her children during the Dust Bowl. The photo collection, known as the "Migrant Mother" series, shows Thompson with her children in a tent shelter in Nipomo, California. According to Lange, the family was living on frozen vegetables from the surrounding fields and birds the children could kill.

Transcript of Manzanar Free Press Special Edition

Source Dependent Questions

  • Look closely at the photo. What are the most significant features? How do those features help you understand the Dust Bowl migrant experience?
  • Use specific evidence from the photo to characterize the conditions in which this family was living. How do these conditions compare to those they likely left behind in the Dust Bowl? To what extent would life in California have improved for this migrant family compared to the one they left behind?
  • What do you believe Lange intended to achieve with this photo? To what extent did she achieve her purpose? Use evidence from the photo to support your thinking.

Citation Information

Lange, Dorothea, "Migrant agricultural worker's family. Seven hungry children. Mother aged thirty-two. Father is native Californian. Nipomo, California," February/March 1936. Courtesy of Library of Congress Courtesy of Library of Congress