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The Great Depression hit the United States in the 1930’s. All corners of the United States, from the east to west coast, were affected. Many families traveled around for work while living on the streets. Most found work in the agriculture industry but when the work was done they were forced to travel on to the next town. An iconic photo of a migrant worker taken in the 30s has been used everywhere as a depiction for what the depression looked like. The photo was taken in Nipomo, CA in March 1936. It featured Florence Owens Thompson, a mother who was a migrant worker with three of her children. This iconic photo was taken by Dorothea Lange who took a total of six photos in 10 minutes.

The photos showed Florence with a toddler on each side of her with a baby in her lap. Her right hand rested under her chin as she was sitting under a tent. The photo was named “Migrant Mother” and became famous across the US just days after it was taken. Florence and her family had traveled to Lompoc because work was posted for a pea farm. They had traveled up and down the California Valley looking for work. However, when they reached the Nipomo pea farm the peas froze from a freezing rain, leaving no work for migrants. A total of 2,500-3,500 people were left camped at the farm waiting to find more work. Lange’s notes on the photos read, “Seven hungry children. Father is native Californian. Destitute in pea pickers’ camp … because of failure of the early pea crop. These people had just sold their tires to buy food.” Lange sent the photos to the San Francisco News and the Resettlement Administration in Washington D.C. Almost immediately the photo ran and became famous. The government then sent over 20,000 pounds of food to the starving pea pickers in Nipomo. Unfortunately, by the time the food reached the camp Florence and her family moved on to Watsonville, California for work. A tutor in your area can help you learn more about the hardships of the Great Depression.

Later in an interview, Florence recounted the following, “There’s no way we sold our tires because we didn’t have any to sell. The only ones we had were on the Hudson and we drove off in them. I don’t believe Dorothea Lange was lying, I just think she had one story mixed up with another. Or she was borrowing to fill in what she didn’t have.” Florence was told by Lange that her photos would never be published. But, despite Florence being the iconic “Migrant Mother” in the photo, the woman in the photo was unknown for over 40 years after the photo was taken. All was known was she was a 32-year-old mother and migrant worker. Florence lived a quiet life, always working to support her 10 children and settled in Modesto, California. Lange’s photo has been quoted, “achieved near mythical status, symbolizing, if not defining, an entire era in United States history.” Florence Owens Thompson remains immortal in her photo.