Okie Collection (#4)

Billboard along U.S. 99...three destitute families...Kern County, CA, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Billboard along U.S. 99 behind which three destitute families of migrants are camped. Kern County, California

Billboard along U.S. 99...three destitute families...Kern County, CA, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Billboard along U.S. 99 behind which three destitute families of migrants are camped. Kern County, California. [Advertisement: Next Time Try the Train - Travel While You Sleep - Southern Pacific']

Billboard along U.S. 99...three destitute families...Kern County, CA, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Billboard along U.S. 99 behind which three destitute families of migrants are camped. Kern County, California. [Advertisement: Next Time Try the Train - Travel While You Sleep - Southern Pacific']

Billboard along U.S. 99 behind which three destitute families... Kern County, California, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Billboard along U.S. 99 behind which three destitute families of migrants are camped. Kern County, California. [Advertisement: Next Time Try the Train - Travel While You Sleep - Southern Pacific']

Ex-Oklahoma farmer, one of the leaders in the strike of cotton pickers, Kern County, CA, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Ex-Oklahoma farmer, one of the leaders in the strike of cotton pickers. Kern County, California. The growers set price of cotton at seventy-five cents per one hundred pounds picked

Ex-Oklahoma farmer, one of the leaders in the strike of cotton pickers, Kern County, CA, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Ex-Oklahoma farmer, one of the leaders in the strike of cotton pickers. Kern County, California. The growers set price of cotton at seventy-five cents per one hundred pounds picked

Migratory field worker, leader of the cotton strike of October 1938, Kern County, California, 1938
Migratory field worker, leader of the cotton strike of October 1938, which took place just before the election. Kern County, California

From Oklahoma farm (April 1938) to strike leader in California, Kern County, California, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange
From Oklahoma farm (April 1938) to strike leader in California. Cotton strike (Nov. 1938). He displays his union membership book. "Vote No on No

Family of migratory cotton pickers, originally from Oklahoma, Kern County, California, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Living conditions of workers in agriculture on whom depend the crops of California. Family of migratory cotton pickers, originally from Oklahoma, living in abandoned cow barn. Note bed in corner

Oklahoman from Chickasaw in potato pickers camp, Kern County, California, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Texans and Oklahomans, drought-stricken ex-farmers, are fast supplanting Mexican labor in the California harvests. Oklahoman from Chickasaw in potato pickers camp. Kern County, California

The Great Reaping Day - Oklahoma potato pickers, Kern County, California, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
The Great Reaping Day. Hymn singing, Sunday afternoon. The woman had been "saved" the week before. Oklahoma potato pickers. Kern County, California

Dispossessed Arkansas farmers, Bakersfield, California, 1935. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Dispossessed Arkansas farmers. These people are resettling themselves on the dump outside of Bakersfield, California

Dispossessed Arkansas farmers, Bakersfield, California, 1935. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Dispossessed Arkansas farmers. These people are resettling themselves on the dump outside of Bakersfield, California

Street and homes in "Little Oklahoma", California, 1936. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Street and homes in "Little Oklahoma." Forty families in this group. Tents, tent houses, shacks, freight cars converted into homes

Three families camped on the plains along US99 in California, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Three families camped on the plains along U.S. 99 in California

Three families camped on the plains along US99 in California, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Three families camped on the plains along U.S. 99 in California. They are camped behind a billboard which serves as a partial windbreak. All are in need of work

Three families camped on the plains along US 99 in California, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Three families camped on the plains along U.S. 99 in California. They are camped behind a billboard which serves as a partial windbreak. All are in need of work

Three families camped on the plains along US 99 in California, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Three families camped on the plains along U.S. 99 in California. They are camped behind a billboard which serves as a partial windbreak. All are in need of work

Three families camped on the plains along US 99 in California, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Three families camped on the plains along U.S. 99 in California. They are camped behind a billboard which serves as a partial windbreak. All are in need of work

Scene at square dance, McIntosh County, Oklahoma, 1939 or 1940. Creator: Russell Lee
Scene at square dance, McIntosh County, Oklahoma

Scene at square dance in rural home in McIntosh County, Oklahoma, 1939 or 1940. Creator: Russell Lee
Scene at square dance in rural home in McIntosh County, Oklahoma

Orchestra during intermission at square dance, McIntosh County, Oklahoma, 1939 or 1940. Creator: Russell Lee
Orchestra during intermission at square dance; notice sweated shirt of host, McIntosh County, Oklahoma

Couples at square dance, McIntosh County, Oklahoma, 1939 or 1940. Creator: Russell Lee
Couples at square dance, McIntosh County, Oklahoma

Family from Oklahoma, during cotton strike, near Shafter, California, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Near Shafter, California. Family from Oklahoma lives in old cow-barn and picks cotton for seventy-five cents a 100 pounds. During cotton strike

Daughter of migratory family in FSA labor camp, Calpatria, Imperial Valley, California, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Daughter of migratory family in Farm Security Administration (FSA) labor camp. Calpatria, Imperial Valley, California

In FSA migratory labor camp, Sinclair Ranch, Brawley, Imperial Valley, California, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
In Farm Security Administration (FSA) migratory labor camp. Family, mother, father and eleven children, originally from Oklahoma, where he had been a tenant farmer

A grandmother from Oklahoma. She works in the California pea fields. Calipatria, California, 1939
A grandmother from Oklahoma. She works in the California pea fields. Calipatria, California

Migratory labor workers, Brawley, Imperial Valley, California, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Migratory labor workers. Brawley, Imperial Valley, California

Pea picker camp, Calipatria, Imperial Valley, California, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Pea picker camp. This family had been farm owners in Oklahoma, lost their farm and for the last three years " have been draggin our children around California

Mother from Oklahoma, awaits visit of resident nurse for sick baby, FSA camp, Farmersville, CA
Farm Security Administration (FSA) camp at Farmersville, California. Mother from Oklahoma, migrant, awaits visit of resident nurse for sick baby

Resident nurse interviews mother and examines sick baby, FSA camp, Farmersville, CA, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Farm Security Administration (FSA) camp. Farmersville, California. Resident nurse interviews mother and examines sick baby

Resident nurse come to visit family, FSA camp, Farmersville, Tulare County, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Farm Security Administration camp (FSA). Farmersville, Tulare County. Shows resident nurse come to visit family where there is sick baby

Migrant mother and child at doorway of steel shelter, FSA camp, Tulare County, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Tulare County, Farm Security Administration (FSA) camp. Migrant mother and child at doorway of steel shelter

Family from Oklahoma, Highway City, near Fresno, California, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Highway City, California. Near Fresno. Family from Oklahoma

Mrs. Cates, Malheur County, Oregon, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Mrs. Cates. Malheur County, Oregon. [Oklahoma farmer, now living in Cow Hollow]

Mrs. Cates signs chattel mortgage with "X", Malheur County, Oregon, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Mrs. Cates signs chattel mortgage with " X." Malheur County, Oregon

Sam Cates from Oklahoma, Cow Hollow farmer, Malheur County, Oregon, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Mr. Sam Cates, Cow Hollow farmer. Malheur County, Oregon

Sam Cates from Oklahoma, now establishing... farm up Cow Hollow... Malheur County, Oregon, 1939
Sam Cates from Oklahoma, now establishing a little farm up Cow Hollow, with his great grandfathers gun, who brought it from South Carolina. The gun is 150 years old

Oklahoman, worked three years as farm laborer... near Ontario, Malheur County, Oregon, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Oklahoman, worked three years as farm laborer, starts next year on his own place. Quit school after third day. Can neither read nor write. Is " best farm laborer" this farmer ever had

Camped in the rain behind billboard... on U.S. 99, near Famosa, Kern County, California, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Camped in the rain behind billboard: three families, fourteen children. On U.S. 99. Near Famosa [or Vamosa], Kern County, California

Two families originating from Independence, Kansas, on U. S. 99, between Tulare and Fresno, 1939
Between Tulare and Fresno. Two families originating from Independence, Kansas, on U.S. 99. Started out from Fresno that morning for work cotton chopping

Mr. and Mrs. Sam Cates, Cow Hollow farmers, Malheur County, Oregon, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Mr. and Mrs. Sam Cates, Cow Hollow farmers. Malheur County, Oregon

Cow Hollow farmer, came from Oklahoma, has received FSA loan... Malheur County, Oregon, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Cow Hollow farmer, came from Oklahoma, has received FSA (Farm Security Administration) loan to help them establish their new place. Wife is co-signer with her husband on chattel mortgage

Oklahoma farmer, now living in Cow Hollow, is a FSA borrower, Malheur County, Oregon, 1939 Creator: Dorothea Lange
Oklahoma farmer, now living in Cow Hollow, is a FSA (Farm Security Administration) borrower. Seen here signing his chattel mortgage. Malheur County, Oregon. [Mr. and Mrs. Sam Cates

Family from Oklahoma; have been in California for 6 year... near Fresno, California, 1939 Creator: Dorothea Lange
Highway City, California. Near Fresno. Family from Oklahoma

Family from Oklahoma; have been in California for 6 years... near Fresno, California, 1939 Creator: Dorothea Lange
Highway City, California, near Fresno. Family from Oklahoma; have been in California for six years, have been migratory workers now on Works Progress Administration (WPA)

Mother and child, FSA camp, Farmersville, Tulare County, California, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Tulare County. Farm Security Administration camp (FSA) for migratory agricultural workers at Farmersville. Mother and child, come to California from Oklahoma

Two families originating from Independence, Kansas, US99, between Tulare and Fresno, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Between Tulare and Fresno. Two families originating from Independence, Kansas, on U.S. 99. Started out from Fresno that morning for work cotton chopping

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"Okie: Capturing the Resilience and Struggles of Migrant Workers in 1930s America" In the midst of the Great Depression, Florence Thompson, a 32-year-old mother of seven, found herself at a camp for migrant workers in Nipomo, California. Dorothea Lange's iconic photograph "Migrant Mother" immortalized her strength and determination to provide for her family. Meanwhile, in McIntosh County, Oklahoma, life went on with moments of joy amidst hardship. Square dances brought communities together as they sought solace and connection through music and dance. Russell Lee's photographs captured scenes from these lively gatherings - couples twirling around the dance floor and an orchestra playing during intermission. But not all Okies were able to find respite within their own communities. The cotton strike near Shafter, California forced families from Oklahoma into further uncertainty. Dorothea Lange documented their struggle as they fought for fair working conditions while being uprooted from their homes. Lange also shed light on the harsh realities faced by migratory families living in labor camps across California's Imperial Valley. In Calpatria and Brawley, she photographed children growing up amidst poverty and uncertainty - daughters helping their families survive in FSA labor camps or grandmothers toiling away in pea fields. These images serve as a reminder of both the resilience and vulnerability that defined this era. The Okies' journey was marked by perseverance against adversity - whether it be seeking work thousands of miles away from home or fighting for better treatment amid challenging circumstances. The photographs taken by Dorothea Lange and Russell Lee capture a chapter in American history that should never be forgotten; one that reminds us of the strength found within individuals facing unimaginable challenges. Through these images, we gain insight into the lives led by those labeled "Okies, " shedding light on their struggles but also celebrating their unwavering spirit.