Fortified by Words

“All photographs—not only those that are so called ‘documentary’…can be fortified by words.” ~Dorothea Lange

By Suzanne Révy

Dorothea Lange (1895-1965) is one of a generation of photographers in the 1930’s whose work helped cement the documentary code of accuracy in photographic storytelling with the aim to provoke a response for action from both the government and the public. Her feats in photography are legendary, but less well known is her tireless effort to caption and write about the people she encountered with her camera. Dorothea Lange: Words and Pictures currently on view at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City through May 9th, 2020 brings together her letters, writing and pictures to present the full scope of her efforts in documenting the environmental catastrophes and human suffering during the Great Depression and throughout her life.

Dorothea Lange “White Angel Bread Line” 1933, Gelatin silver print
10 3/4 x 8 7/8″ (27.3 x 22.6 cm) courtesy of the The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of Albert M. Bender 108.1940

It is ironic, perhaps, to consider Lange’s writing, because her photographs stand squarely on their own absent any written context. Her working methods of gathering details and quotes as she photographed reveals the deep bonds that she formed with her subjects resulting in the eternal strength of her work. Her purpose in providing a large well of information to her editors underlined or fortified her imagery with a call to action, and in fact, became the backbone of many official reports on the economics of the time. In addition to working for the government, Lange published American Exodus in 1938 with her second husband, agrarian economist Paul Taylor. It teems with photographs and texts drawn from field notes, folk songs, and newspaper accounts which detail the plight of the tenant farmers who were displaced from Oklahoma’s Dust Bowl to California. Her portrait of a migratory laborer’s wife near Childress, Texas is punctuated with the quote, “If you die, you’re dead, that’s all;” it is a powerful indictment of the greed which led to the environmental disaster of the plains, and the book is considered an exceptional documentary work of the time.

Installation view of “Dorothea Lange: Words & Pictures” including selections from “American Exodus” (right) at  The Museum of Modern Art, New York, February 9, 2020 – May 9, 2020. © 2020 The Museum of Modern Art. Photo: John Wronn

In accompanying video and catalog, visitors will learn of her experiences growing up after her father abandoned the family and she contracted polio. She walked with a limp for the rest of her life, but credits these hardships with developing her deep sense of empathy. She brought a transcendent emotional intelligence to her practice which is aspirational for any documentary photographer working today who might be tackling similar tales of adversity. The exhibit and catalog include written responses to Lange’s work from several contemporary artists and scholars such as Wendy Red Star, Rebecca Solnit, Sally Mann and a selection from artist Sam Contis, allowing viewers to consider the relevance of Lange’s work today. Her era, almost a century ago, is a mirror to the economic and cultural strains we face today. Can contemporary documentary photographers play a similar role as Lange? Or will the sheer volume of imagery drown out  more thorough, analytical and astute approaches to documentary practice? Can photography still move viewers to act or resist?

Dorothea Lange “the Defendant, Alameda County Courthouse, California” 1955-57, Gelatin silver print, printed 1965
12 3/8 x 10 1/8″ (31.4 x 25.8 cm) courtesy of The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Purchase 802.1968

Dorothea Lange “Man Stepping from Cable Car, San Francisco” 1956, Gelatin silver print, printed 1965
9 3/4 x 6 7/16″ (24.8 x 16.4 cm) courtesy of The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Purchase 793.1968

The exhibit closes with later lesser known work paired with the most famous photograph ever made, Migrant Mother. Several copies of that image offer a glimpse into the storied history of its use, including troubling evidence of retouching, but a salient photography essay about a public defender originally made for but not published by Life Magazine packs just as powerful a punch. It addresses racism in our justice system in the late 1950’s, but did not appear for over a decade until the National Lawyers Guild published a handbook in 1969 titled, “Minimizing Racism in Jury Trials” four years after her death. One can only wonder, if it had been published more widely, would the Justice Department have responded earlier to the inequities that Lange made so clear? Maybe not, but it seems to be a missed opportunity. Finally, there are several personal family photographs featuring the loving embrace of her husband’s hands, two large sublime prints of oak trees paired with several more abstract studies of figures included that reveal a looser more playful photographer at work near the end of her prolific life.  An accompanying catalog and several copies of Lange and Taylor’s published books are available for visitors to peruse in comfortable chairs throughout the exhibit, and are well worth the time to read while surrounded by her beautiful prints.

Dorothea Lange “Migrant Mother, Nipomo, California” March 1936 Gelatin silver print, printed 1949
11 1/8 x 8 9/16″ (28.3 x 21.8 cm) courtesy of The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Purchase 331.199

For more information: 

https://www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/5079

(Featured Image) Dorothea Lange “Kern County, California” Nov. 1938, Gelatin silver print, printed 1965
12 7/16 x 12 1/2″ (31.6 x 31.7 cm) courtesy of The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Purchase 796.1968