Throughout the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s, Lange traveled the United States documenting people impacted by the economic collapse of 1929 with an empathetic eye.Her personal collection captures many important facets of life in the first half of the 20th century. In addition to portraits of Dust Bowl refugees and migrant workers, Lange captured the horrors of internment of Japanese Americans, the hope of Black Californian shipyard workers during World War II and the journey of migrant workers from Mexico.
The Oakland Museum of California houses Lange’s personal archive, a gift from the artist that includes 25,000 negatives, 6,000 vintage prints, field notes, and personal memorabilia. Curators and researchers from around the world visit the Museum to access the Lange collection.