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Cotton hoers from Memphis, Tennessee are carried by trucks to the Arkansas plantations, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
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Cotton hoers from Memphis, Tennessee are carried by trucks to the Arkansas plantations, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Cotton hoers from Memphis, Tennessee are carried by trucks to the Arkansas plantations
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Media ID 36203315
© Heritage Art/Heritage Images
African Americans Lorry Overcrowded Overcrowding Passenger Passengers South Southerner Southerners Truck Trucks United States Office Of War Information Afro American Agricultural Worker Dorothea Lange Dorothea Lange Taylor Dorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Farm Hand Farm Labourer Farm Worker Farmhand Farmworker Lange Dorothea Lee Russell Nutzhorn Dorothea Margaretta Recession Russell Lee Taylor Dorothea Lange
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This evocative photograph, titled "Cotton Pickers from Memphis, Tennessee are carried by trucks to the Arkansas Plantations," was captured by renowned American photographer Dorothea Lange in 1937. The image offers a poignant glimpse into the harsh realities of rural life during the Great Depression, specifically for African American agricultural workers. The photograph depicts a group of tired and overcrowded passengers, mostly African American men and women, crammed into the back of an open truck. Their faces express a range of emotions, from weary resignation to determined focus, as they make their way to the plantations in Arkansas to work the cotton fields. The scene is reminiscent of a rustic tableau, with the passengers' clothing and weathered truck contrasting against the lush, green landscape in the background. The photograph was taken during a time of significant economic hardship in America, when the agricultural sector was particularly affected by the Depression. The Farm Security Administration (FSA), a New Deal agency, commissioned Lange and other photographers to document the conditions of rural communities and provide relief efforts. This image, along with others from the FSA's archive, serves as an important historical record of the struggles faced by farm laborers during this period. The photograph's composition and use of light and shadow create a sense of both isolation and community, highlighting the shared experience of these workers and their collective journey to the plantations. The image also underscores the importance of agricultural labor in America's rural heartland, and the often overlooked stories of the people who worked the land during this pivotal time in American history.
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