Migrant Mother, 1936

During the Great Depression, government photographer Dorothea Lange took this picture at a migrant farmworkers' camp near Nipomo, California. Lange's brief caption recorded her impressions of the family's plight: "Destitute pea pickers ... a 32-year-old mother of seven children.". It is one of the most famous photographs of the 20th century.

First published in a San Francisco newspaper, this poignant image became one of the defining images of the Depression era, emblematic of the hardships suffered by poor migrant families. The "migrant mother," anonymous for many years, was later identified as Oklahoma native Florence Thompson.

This is a genuine vintage photogravure, printed in 1936 and has the fantastic warmth and tonal range of a platinum print. Archivally mounted on 100% acid-free board, matted to 11" x 14" and in a black wooden frame.