Dorothea Lange’s photograph Migrant Mother (c.a. 1936) formed a tangible image of motherhood
that has stood the test of time over the past 79 years. This image is a piece
of historical evidence during the Great Depression’s unyielding strain of the
everyday. Lange went out to expose the
truth of the struggle during this era and found an intimate window of
opportunity, seen in the portraits of Florence Owens Thompson and her children.
The image is symbolic of the trials this time exhibited, in the expression of
worry, and the look of fear for the future, genuine traits of a mother. This
photograph has stretched beyond the era of the Great Depression and resonates
with many today, with Thompson embodying the form of ‘Mother.’ Additionally,
this image is also viewed as gendered, having the role of ‘Mother’ reflected on
Lange as well as the subject in Migrant
Mother (c.a. 1936). With this image largely publicized, Lange has
influenced the world of documentary photography with a motherly touch. This
previous influence may have made an impression on viewers of her works, making
it difficult to separate her gender from her message. Working as a photographer
for the FSA, it is relatively far fetched to force a motherly role upon an
independent woman during the 1930s, who was capturing that motherly focus upon
others, likely closing off the other possible readings of Lange’s works. This
iconic image has stood out over many others, Lange having captured something relatable,
though we may not all have the same degree of struggle that Thompson faced, we
all have an idea of what she may have been experiencing.
1 comment:
While I agree that the Migrant Mother has become a symbol for motherhood, strength and independence for women since it was published during the FSA photography movement, I have to argue that Lange did not fully "expose the truth" about the struggles of the Great Depression. While she did photograph many struggling people, we do not learn very much about the subjects of these photographs. The idea of the women in this photograph became iconic, but no one truly knew what she was going through. Lange herself knew very little about Florence Thompson and her children, nor did she have interest in learning about her. I feel that documentary photograph walks a fine line between "exposing the truth" and simply taking people and scenes out of context while telling us very little about the truth.
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