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Dorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection

"Dorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn: Capturing the Struggles and Resilience of American Farmers in the 1930s" Step into the world of Dorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: Mrs. Cleaver is raising five sons on new farm, Malheur County, Oregon, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Mrs. Cleaver is raising five sons on new farm, Malheur County, Oregon, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Mrs. Cleaver is raising five sons on new farm. Malheur County, Oregon

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: George Cleaver who is trying to develop 177 acres of raw land, Malheur County, Oregon, 1939

George Cleaver who is trying to develop 177 acres of raw land, Malheur County, Oregon, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
George Cleaver who is trying to develop 177 acres of raw land. He has five sons. Malheur County, Oregon

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: 'Pit and tools for rent--work on your own', U. S. 99, Fresno County, California, 1939

"Pit and tools for rent--work on your own", U. S. 99, Fresno County, California, 1939
U.S. 99. Fresno County. " Pit and tools for rent--work on your own." California. [ Garage; Electric Welding ]

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: Grain elevator along railroad yard, North Platte, Nebraska, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Grain elevator along railroad yard, North Platte, Nebraska, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Grain elevator along railroad yard. North Platte, Nebraska. [Sign: T.B. Hord Grain Co. Coal Hay and Feed. Union Pacific steam locomotive]

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: Filipinos cutting lettuce, near Westmorland, California, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Filipinos cutting lettuce, near Westmorland, California, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Near Westmorland. Filipinos cutting lettuce. California

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: Farm woman, Tenant Purchase applicant, Stockton, California, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Farm woman, Tenant Purchase applicant, Stockton, California, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Farm woman. Stockton, California. Tenant Purchase applicant

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: Horse and wagon is still a common means of transportation... Southeast Missouri Farms, 1938

Horse and wagon is still a common means of transportation... Southeast Missouri Farms, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Horse and wagon is still a common means of transportation. Family coming from town on a Saturday afternoon. Southeast Missouri Farms

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: Large-scale pea fields, near San Juan Bautista, California, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Large-scale pea fields, near San Juan Bautista, California, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Near San Juan Bautista, California. Large-scale pea fields

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: Itinerant worker on U.S. 101 near San Luis Obispo, California, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Itinerant worker on U.S. 101 near San Luis Obispo, California, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
On U.S. 101 near San Luis Obispo, California. Itinerant worker. Not the old "Bindle-Stiff" type

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: Cotton pickers emptying sacks, Kern County, California, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Cotton pickers emptying sacks, Kern County, California, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Kern County, California. Cotton pickers emptying sacks at eleven a.m. Stopped from further work for the day by rain

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: Warehouse used as distributing office for FSA relief grants, Bakersfield, California, 1938

Warehouse used as distributing office for FSA relief grants, Bakersfield, California, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Warehouse used as distributing office for Farm Security Administration (FSA) relief grants of commodities to destitute farm labor families. Bakersfield, California

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: Wife of Farm Security Administration rural rehabilitation client, Tulare County, California, 1938

Wife of Farm Security Administration rural rehabilitation client, Tulare County, California, 1938
Wife of Farm Security Administration rural rehabilitation client. Tulare County, California

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: Main street storefront, Chickasaw, Oklahoma, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Main street storefront, Chickasaw, Oklahoma, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Main street storefront, Chickasaw, Oklahoma. This is a region from which hundreds of farm families have fled to the west. ['Loans - We Buy & Sell Clothing Luggage Guns etc - Used Clothing']

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: Well, Center County, Oklahoma, belonging to tenant farmer, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Well, Center County, Oklahoma, belonging to tenant farmer, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Well, Center County, Oklahoma, belonging to tenant farmer

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: Corn, Washington County, Mississippi, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Corn, Washington County, Mississippi, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Corn. Washington County, Mississippi

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: Farmers sack mixed grasshopper bait...Oklahoma, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Farmers sack mixed grasshopper bait...Oklahoma, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Farmers sack mixed grasshopper bait for use on their farms to control the pest. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: Home of a dust bowl refugee in California, Imperial County, California, 1937

Home of a dust bowl refugee in California, Imperial County, California, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Home of a dust bowl refugee in California. Imperial County

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: Replanting chili plants on a Japanese-owned ranch, desert agriculture, Imperial Valley, CA, 1937

Replanting chili plants on a Japanese-owned ranch, desert agriculture, Imperial Valley, CA, 1937
Desert agriculture. Brushed chili field. Replanting chili plants on a Japanese-owned ranch. Imperial Valley, California

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: Replanting chili plants on a Japanese-owned ranch, desert agriculture, Imperial Valley, CA, 1937

Replanting chili plants on a Japanese-owned ranch, desert agriculture, Imperial Valley, CA, 1937
Desert agriculture. Brushed chili field. Replanting chili plants on a Japanese-owned ranch. Imperial Valley, California

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: Capped cantaloupe, Imperial Valley, California, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Capped cantaloupe, Imperial Valley, California, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Capped cantaloupe. Imperial Valley, California

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: Family between Dallas and Austin, Texas, 1936. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Family between Dallas and Austin, Texas, 1936. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Family between Dallas and Austin, Texas. The people have left their home and connections in South Texas, and hope to reach the Arkansas Delta for work in the cotton fields. Penniless people

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: Cradling wheat near Sperryville, Virginia, 1936. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Cradling wheat near Sperryville, Virginia, 1936. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Cradling wheat near Sperryville, Virginia. A hand binder follows the mower. These men had never heard of a combine harvester. "Sure would like to see that." Their father used a reap hook

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: Cherry pickers near Millville, New Jersey, 1936. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Cherry pickers near Millville, New Jersey, 1936. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Cherry pickers near Millville, New Jersey. The cherry crop is harvested by local families, men, women and children

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: Once a Missouri farmer, now a migratory farm laborer on the Pacific Coast, California, 1936

Once a Missouri farmer, now a migratory farm laborer on the Pacific Coast, California, 1936. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Once a Missouri farmer, now a migratory farm laborer on the Pacific Coast. California

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: Filipinos cutting lettuce, near Westmorland, California, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Filipinos cutting lettuce, near Westmorland, California, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Near Westmorland. Filipinos cutting lettuce. California

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: Farm Security Administration rural rehabilitation client, Tulare County, California, 1938

Farm Security Administration rural rehabilitation client, Tulare County, California, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Farm Security Administration rural rehabilitation client, Tulare County, California, consulting with county supervisor. He and his family of seven were on relief

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: Tractors on Lake Dick project, Arkansas, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Tractors on Lake Dick project, Arkansas, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Tractors on Lake Dick project, Arkansas

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: Sharecropper family near Hazlehurst, Georgia, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Sharecropper family near Hazlehurst, Georgia, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Sharecropper family near Hazlehurst, Georgia

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: Careyville, northern Florida, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Careyville, northern Florida, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Careyville, northern Florida. The mill closed down January 1, 1937 and the occupants of these houses were dispersed

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: Migrants tents...along the right of way of the southern pacific, near Fresno, California, 1939

Migrants tents...along the right of way of the southern pacific, near Fresno, California, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Near Fresno, California. Migrants tents are a common sight along the right of way of the Southern Pacific. [Signs: Railroad Crossing, End of Double Track']

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: Drought refugees stopped along the highway near Lordsburg, New Mexico, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Drought refugees stopped along the highway near Lordsburg, New Mexico, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Drought refugees stopped along the highway near Lordsburg, New Mexico

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: Car of drought refugee on edge of carrot field in the Coachella Valley, California, 1937

Car of drought refugee on edge of carrot field in the Coachella Valley, California, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Car of drought refugee on edge of carrot field in the Coachella Valley. California

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: Migrant family on U.S. Highway 99 between Bakersfield and Famoso, California, 1936

Migrant family on U.S. Highway 99 between Bakersfield and Famoso, California, 1936. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Migrant family on U.S. Highway 99 between Bakersfield and Famoso, California. Note: the photographer passed twenty-eight cars of this type while driving thirty-five miles between 9:00 and 9

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: Cotton picking in south Texas, 1936. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Cotton picking in south Texas, 1936. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Cotton picking in south Texas

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: Hoe culture in the South, Near Eutaw, Alabama, 1936. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Hoe culture in the South, Near Eutaw, Alabama, 1936. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Hoe culture in the South. Near Eutaw, Alabama

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: The model house nears completion, Hightstown, New Jersey, 1936. Creator: Dorothea Lange

The model house nears completion, Hightstown, New Jersey, 1936. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Hightstown, New Jersey. The model house nears completion. Note landscaping

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: Citrus workers in winter quarters, near Lindsay, California, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Citrus workers in winter quarters, near Lindsay, California, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Near Lindsay, California. Citrus workers in winter quarters

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: Oklahoma City state capitol, literally built on oil, Oklahoma, 1938

Oklahoma City state capitol, literally built on oil, Oklahoma, 1938. Creators: Dorothea Lange, Constance Whitney Warren
Oklahoma City state capitol, literally built on oil. Oklahoma. [Bronze sculpture: Tribute To Range Riders by Constance Whitney Warren]

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: Tenant Purchase applicants, Stockton, California, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Tenant Purchase applicants, Stockton, California, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Tenant Purchase applicants. Stockton, California

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: Houses inhabited by Mexican citrus workers, Lindsay, Tulare County, California, 1939

Houses inhabited by Mexican citrus workers, Lindsay, Tulare County, California, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Lindsay, California. Houses inhabited by Mexican citrus workers. (Tulare County)

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: Cotton sharecropper farm, Texas, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Cotton sharecropper farm, Texas, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Cotton sharecropper farm, Texas

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: Outside FSA 'grant' office during cotton pickers strike, Bakersfield, California, 1938

Outside FSA "grant" office during cotton pickers strike, Bakersfield, California, 1938
Bakersfield, California. Outside Farm Security Administration (FSA) "grant" office during cotton pickers strike

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: Sorting and stringing the 'golden leaf' at the tobacco barn, near Hartsville, South Carolina, 1938

Sorting and stringing the "golden leaf" at the tobacco barn, near Hartsville, South Carolina, 1938
Near Hartsville, South Carolina, sorting and stringing the "golden leaf" at the tobacco barn, preparatory to curing. Note sled by which tobacco is brought to the barn from the field

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: Potato field, Hightstown, New Jersey, 1936. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Potato field, Hightstown, New Jersey, 1936. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Potato field, where the farm members of this resettled group have the second best crop in the three leading potato counties, according to estimates of the New Jersey Agricultural State College

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: Family of rural rehabilitation client, Tulare County, California, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Family of rural rehabilitation client, Tulare County, California, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Family of rural rehabilitation client. Tulare County, California

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: Migrant cotton pickers, Texas, 1936. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Migrant cotton pickers, Texas, 1936. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Migrant cotton pickers. Texas

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: Day laborers hoeing cottonn, near Corsicana, Texas, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Day laborers hoeing cottonn, near Corsicana, Texas, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Day laborers hoeing cotton. Many tenant farmers become day laborers on mechanized farms. Near Corsicana, Texas

Background imageDorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn Collection: The riding boss, Aldridge Plantation, Mississippi, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange

The riding boss, Aldridge Plantation, Mississippi, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
The riding boss. Aldridge Plantation, Mississippi




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"Dorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn: Capturing the Struggles and Resilience of American Farmers in the 1930s" Step into the world of Dorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn, a talented photographer who documented the lives of ordinary Americans during one of the most challenging periods in history. Through her lens, we witness Mrs. Cleaver's determination as she raises her five sons on a new farm in Malheur County, Oregon. In another frame, we see George Cleaver battling against all odds to develop 177 acres of raw land. Traveling across states, Nutzhorn captures scenes that reflect both hardship and hope. A rail fence with poor barbed wire stands as a symbol of struggle in Person County, North Carolina. Meanwhile, an intriguing photograph hints at life within a hop pickers camp - a glimpse into an often overlooked community. In Yamhill County, Oregon, we witness unity among farmers as they load wagons with corn and drive them to silos. The cooperative spirit shines through these images captured by Nutzhorn's keen eye for detail. Venturing further west to Klamath County, Oregon, we find ourselves inside a potato cellar - evidence of hard work and dedication required to sustain livelihoods during those trying times. Nutzhorn also turns her lens towards new settlers struggling on poor sandy soil at Boundary County in Idaho. The Unruf family stands amidst their partly developed farm while nearby stumps await burning on Cox Farm in Bonner County. Through each photograph taken by Dorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn emerges stories untold; tales etched onto film capturing not just struggles but also resilience and determination that defined America during this era. Her work serves as a reminder that even amidst adversity there is strength waiting to be discovered – if only someone takes notice like she did.