The photographs

This following photographs are arranged sequentially by geographic locations near and along California Highway 99, traveling north from the Central Valley and surrounding areas, and ending south in the Coachella and Imperial Valleys. Lange's captions form narratives when images are strung together.

All images retrieved:
Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Farm Securities Administraion/Office of War Information Collection 

Dorothea Lange

Texas tenant farmer in Marysville, California, migrant camp during the peach season. 1927 made seven thousand dollars in cotton. 1928 broke even. 1929 went in the hole. 1930 still deeper. 1931 lost everything. 1932 hit the road. 1935, fruit tramp in California.

1935 September
LC-USF34-009066-E; LC-USZ6-1026

Daughter of migrant Tennessee coal miner. Living in American River camp near Sacramento, California

1936 November
LC-DIG-fsa-8b38518; LC-USF34-009907-C

Migratory cotton picker from Kansas on highway near Merced, California

1939 May
LC-USF34-019517-C LOT 347; LC-USF34-019517-C

To harvest the crops of California thousands of families live literally on wheels, San Joaquin Valley

1935 February 22
LOT 898; LC-USZ62-69109
 

Mexican cotton picker. Southern San Joaquin Valley, California

1936 November
LC-USF34-009950-C; LC-USZ62-131118

A very blue eagle. Along California highway

1936 November
LC-USF34-T01-009850-C

Mexican mother in California. "Sometimes I tell my children that I would like to go to Mexico, but they tell me 'We don't want to go, we belong here.'" (Note on Mexican labor situation in repatriation.)

1935 June
LC-DIG-fsa-8b26837; LC-USF34-000825-ZC

Japanese mother and daughter, agricultural workers near Guadalupe, California

1937 March
LC-USF34-016129-C; LC-USZ62-129071

Billboard along U.S. 99 behind which three destitute families of migrants are camped. Kern County, California

1938 November
LC-USF34-018619-C

U.S. 99 on ridge over Tehachapi Mountains. Heavy truck route between Los Angeles and San Joaquin Valley over which migrants travel back and forth. California

1939 May
LC-USF346-019532-C

Example of self-resettlement in California. Oklahoma farm family on highway between Blythe and Indio. Forced by the drought of 1936 to abandon their farm, they set out with their children to drive to California. Picking cotton in Arizona for a day or two at a time gave them enough for food and gas to continue. On this day, they were within a day's travel to their destination, Bakersfield, California. Their car had broken down en route and was abandoned

1936 August
LC-USF34-009680-C; LC-USF34-009680-C

Drought refugees from Oklahoma camping by the roadside. They hope to work in the cotton fields. The official at the border (California-Arizona) inspection service said that on this day, August 17, 1936, twenty-three car loads and truck loads of migrant families out of the drought counties of Oklahoma and Arkansas had passed through that station entering California up to 3 o'clock in the afternoon

1936 August
LC-USF34-009665-E; LC-DIG-fsa-8b38480

Children of migratory Mexican field workers. The older one helps tie carrots in the field. Coachella Valley, California

1937 February
LC-USF34-016223-E

Calipatria, Imperial Valley, In Farm Security Administration (FSA) emergency migratory labor camp. Daughter of ex-tenant farmers on thirds and fourths in cotton. Had fifty dollars when set out. Went to Phoenix, picked cotton, pulled bolls made eighty cents a day with two people pulling bolls. Stayed until school closed. Went to Idaho, picked peas until August. Left McCall with forty dollars "in hand." Went to Cedar City and Parowan, Utah, a distance of 700 miles. Picked peas through September. Went to Hollister, California. Picked peas through October. Left Hollister for Calipatria for early peas which froze. Now receiving Farm Security Administration food grant and waiting for work to begin. 'Back in Oklahoma, we are sinking. You work your head off for a crop and then see it burn up. You live in debts that you can never get out of. This isn't a good life, but I say that it's a better life than it was.'

1939 February

LC-DIG-fsa-8b15447; LC-USF34-019221-C

Migrant family from Arkansas playing hill-billy songs. Farm Security Administration emergency migratory camp. Calipatria, California

1939 February
LC-USF34-019320-E

Tent of migratory workers in Farm Security Administration (FSA) camp (emergency). Calipatria, California

1939 February
LC-USF34-019288-E