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Shanty Town Collection (#4)

Shanty towns, also known as slums or favelas, are a stark reminder of the inequality and poverty that persist in many parts of the world

Background imageShanty Town Collection: Sunday school for migrant children in a potato pickers camp, Kern County, California, 1937

Sunday school for migrant children in a potato pickers camp, Kern County, California, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Sunday school for migrant children in a potato pickers camp. Kern County, California

Background imageShanty Town Collection: Migratory workers in winter quarters, Kern County, California, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Migratory workers in winter quarters, Kern County, California, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Kern County, California. Migratory workers in winter quarters

Background imageShanty Town Collection: Sunday school for migrant children in a potato pickers camp, Kern County, California, 1937

Sunday school for migrant children in a potato pickers camp, Kern County, California, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Sunday school for migrant children in a potato pickers camp. Kern County, California

Background imageShanty Town Collection: Camp of two related families seen from U.S. 99. Kern County, California, 1939

Camp of two related families seen from U.S. 99. Kern County, California, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Kern County, California. Camp of two related families seen from U.S. 99. Oil field beyond. Came to California in 1920 from Missouri. Father had job for eight years

Background imageShanty Town Collection: Debris left out on the flats where squatters camp stood during work season, Kern County, 1939

Debris left out on the flats where squatters camp stood during work season, Kern County, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Kern County. Debris left out on the flats where squatters camp stood during work season. These are common sights after the migrants have left

Background imageShanty Town Collection: Potato harvesters, Kern County, California, 1935. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Potato harvesters, Kern County, California, 1935. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Potato harvesters. Kern County, California

Background imageShanty Town Collection: Migrant Mexican children in contractor's camp at time of early pea harvest, Nipomo, California

Migrant Mexican children in contractor's camp at time of early pea harvest, Nipomo, California
Migrant Mexican children in contractor's camp at time of early pea harvest. Nipomo, California

Background imageShanty Town Collection: Young family just arrived from Arkansas camped along the road, Imperial Valley, California, 1937

Young family just arrived from Arkansas camped along the road, Imperial Valley, California, 1937
Young family just arrived from Arkansas camped along the road. Imperial Valley, California

Background imageShanty Town Collection: Oklahoma potato picker's family encamped on the flats near Shafter, California, 1935

Oklahoma potato picker's family encamped on the flats near Shafter, California, 1935. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Oklahoma potato picker's family encamped on the flats near Shafter, California

Background imageShanty Town Collection: Entrance to Marysville camp for migrants, Marysville, California, 1935. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Entrance to Marysville camp for migrants, Marysville, California, 1935. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Entrance to Marysville camp for migrants. Marysville, California

Background imageShanty Town Collection: Washing facilities for families in migratory pea pickers camp, Imperial Valley, California, 1937

Washing facilities for families in migratory pea pickers camp, Imperial Valley, California, 1937
Washing facilities for families in migratory pea pickers camp. Imperial Valley, California. Mostly Oklahomans and Texans

Background imageShanty Town Collection: This family...about to be returned to Oklahoma...Neideffer Camp, Imperial Valley, CA, 1937

This family...about to be returned to Oklahoma...Neideffer Camp, Imperial Valley, CA, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
This family without food and work about to be returned to Oklahoma by the Relief Administration. They have lost a baby as a result of exposure during the winter

Background imageShanty Town Collection: Migrants winter quarters, Farmersville, Tulare County, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Migrants winter quarters, Farmersville, Tulare County, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Farmersville, Tulare County. Migrants winter quarters

Background imageShanty Town Collection: Blue Monday in a California migratory camp, 1936. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Blue Monday in a California migratory camp, 1936. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Blue Monday in a California migratory camp

Background imageShanty Town Collection: From Wyoming and Missouri eight years...working in lemons... near Strathmore, CA, 1939

From Wyoming and Missouri eight years...working in lemons... near Strathmore, CA, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Near Strathmore, California. From Wyoming and Missouri, eight years in California working in lemons "It's easy for us because we haven't got a bunch of kids to get drug around"

Background imageShanty Town Collection: Migrants winter quarters, Farmersville, Tulare County, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Migrants winter quarters, Farmersville, Tulare County, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Farmersville, Tulare County. Migrants winter quarters

Background imageShanty Town Collection: Migrant camp, California, 1936. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Migrant camp, California, 1936. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Migrant camp, California

Background imageShanty Town Collection: From Wyoming and Missouri eight years...working in lemons... near Strathmore, CA, 1939

From Wyoming and Missouri eight years...working in lemons... near Strathmore, CA, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Near Strathmore, California. From Wyoming and Missouri, eight years in California working in lemons "It's easy for us because we haven't got a bunch of kids to get drug around"

Background imageShanty Town Collection: From Wyoming and Missouri eight years...working in lemons... near Strathmore, CA, 1939

From Wyoming and Missouri eight years...working in lemons... near Strathmore, CA, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Near Strathmore, California. From Wyoming and Missouri, eight years in California working in lemons "It's easy for us because we haven't got a bunch of kids to get drug around"

Background imageShanty Town Collection: Dispossessed Arkansas farmers, Bakersfield, California, 1935. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Dispossessed Arkansas farmers, Bakersfield, California, 1935. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Dispossessed Arkansas farmers. Bakersfield, California

Background imageShanty Town Collection: Migratory workers in winter quarters, Kern County, California, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Migratory workers in winter quarters, Kern County, California, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Kern County, California. Migratory workers in winter quarters

Background imageShanty Town Collection: Homes of Mexican field laborers, a street in Brawley, Imperial Valley, California, 1935

Homes of Mexican field laborers, a street in Brawley, Imperial Valley, California, 1935. Creator: Dorothea Lange
A street in Brawley, Imperial Valley. Homes of Mexican field laborers. California

Background imageShanty Town Collection: Pea pickers camp near San Jose, California, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Pea pickers camp near San Jose, California, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Pea pickers camp near San Jose, California

Background imageShanty Town Collection: 'Company' cotton pickers camp, after picking season, Buttonwillow, California, 1939

"Company" cotton pickers camp, after picking season, Buttonwillow, California, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Buttonwillow, California. "Company" cotton pickers camp, after picking season. Some families remain for tag ends of picking and for pulling [cotton] bolls

Background imageShanty Town Collection: Camp of two related families seen from U.S. 99. Kern County, California, 1939

Camp of two related families seen from U.S. 99. Kern County, California, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Kern County, California. Camp of two related families seen from U.S. 99. Oil field beyond. Came to California in 1920 from Missouri. Father had job for eight years

Background imageShanty Town Collection: Mexican family, Brawley County, Imperial Valley, California, 1935. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Mexican family, Brawley County, Imperial Valley, California, 1935. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Mexican family. Brawley County, Imperial Valley, California

Background imageShanty Town Collection: Home of Mexican field laborers, Brawley, Imperial Valley, California, 1935. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Home of Mexican field laborers, Brawley, Imperial Valley, California, 1935. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Home of Mexican field laborers. Brawley, Imperial Valley, California

Background imageShanty Town Collection: Unemployed family from the Rio Grande Valley, Texas... near Holtville, California, 1937

Unemployed family from the Rio Grande Valley, Texas... near Holtville, California, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Unemployed family from the Rio Grande Valley, Texas, camped on a river bottom near Holtville, California

Background imageShanty Town Collection: Transient potato workers camping along the highway, Near Shafter, California, 1935

Transient potato workers camping along the highway, Near Shafter, California, 1935. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Transient potato workers camping along the highway. Near Shafter, California

Background imageShanty Town Collection: Homes of Mexican field workers, Brawley, Imperial Valley, California, 1935. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Homes of Mexican field workers, Brawley, Imperial Valley, California, 1935. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Homes of Mexican field workers. Brawley, Imperial Valley, California

Background imageShanty Town Collection: Unemployed family... near Holtville, California, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Unemployed family... near Holtville, California, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Unemployed family from the Rio Grande Valley, Texas, camped on a river bottom near Holtville, California

Background imageShanty Town Collection: Housing for Mexican field laborers, Brawley, Imperial Valley, California, 1935

Housing for Mexican field laborers, Brawley, Imperial Valley, California, 1935. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Housing for Mexican field laborers. Brawley, Imperial Valley, California

Background imageShanty Town Collection: The slums of Brawley, Homes of Mexican field workers, Imperial Valley, California, 1935

The slums of Brawley, Homes of Mexican field workers, Imperial Valley, California, 1935. Creator: Dorothea Lange
The slums of Brawley. Homes of Mexican field workers. Imperial Valley, California

Background imageShanty Town Collection: The Great Reaping Day - Oklahoma potato pickers, Kern County, California, 1937

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

Background imageShanty Town Collection: Homes of Mexican field laborers, Brawley, Imperial Valley, California, 1935. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Homes of Mexican field laborers, Brawley, Imperial Valley, California, 1935. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Homes of Mexican field laborers. Brawley, Imperial Valley, California

Background imageShanty Town Collection: Home of Mexican field worker showing water supply, Brawley, Imperial Valley, California, 1935

Home of Mexican field worker showing water supply, Brawley, Imperial Valley, California, 1935. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Home of Mexican field worker showing water supply. Brawley, Imperial Valley, California

Background imageShanty Town Collection: Oklahoma grandmother in southern California squatter's camp, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Oklahoma grandmother in southern California squatter's camp, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Oklahoma grandmother in southern California squatter's camp. "Yes'm we're getting along just fine"

Background imageShanty Town Collection: Oklahomans encamped on a river bottom near Holtville, California, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Oklahomans encamped on a river bottom near Holtville, California, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Oklahomans encamped on a river bottom near Holtville, California

Background imageShanty Town Collection: Texas tenant farmer to migrant pea picker in California, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Texas tenant farmer to migrant pea picker in California, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Texas tenant farmer to migrant pea picker in California. "I never have wrote back home and told my folks we live in a tent

Background imageShanty Town Collection: Tens of thousands in good times and bad move ceaselessly from place to place... 1937

Tens of thousands in good times and bad move ceaselessly from place to place... 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Tens of thousands in good times and bad move ceaselessly from place to place in order to eke out a living following the crops of California

Background imageShanty Town Collection: The incessant struggle for cleanliness amid dust and dirt, Imperial County, California, 1937

The incessant struggle for cleanliness amid dust and dirt, Imperial County, California, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
The incessant struggle for cleanliness amid dust and dirt. Imperial County, California

Background imageShanty Town Collection: Ditch bank housing for Mexican field workers, Imperial Valley, California, 1937

Ditch bank housing for Mexican field workers, Imperial Valley, California, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Ditch bank housing for Mexican field workers. Imperial Valley, California

Background imageShanty Town Collection: Ditch bank housing for Mexican field workers, Imperial Valley, California, 1937

Ditch bank housing for Mexican field workers, Imperial Valley, California, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Ditch bank housing for Mexican field workers. Imperial Valley, California

Background imageShanty Town Collection: Refugee families encamped near Holtville, California, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Refugee families encamped near Holtville, California, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Refugee families encamped near Holtville, California

Background imageShanty Town Collection: Citrus workers in winter quarters, Strathmore, California, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Citrus workers in winter quarters, Strathmore, California, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Strathmore, California. Citrus workers in winter quarters

Background imageShanty Town Collection: Living conditions of the migrant agricultural workers...Tulare County, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Living conditions of the migrant agricultural workers...Tulare County, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Living conditions of the migrant agricultural workers on whom depend the crops of California. Tulare County

Background imageShanty Town Collection: Living conditions of migrant agricultural workers, Tulare County, California, 1938

Living conditions of migrant agricultural workers, Tulare County, California, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Tulare County, California. Living conditions of migrant agricultural workers on whom the crops of California depend

Background imageShanty Town Collection: Looking from the camp to adjoining tract... Shafter migrant camp, California, 1938

Looking from the camp to adjoining tract... Shafter migrant camp, California, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Looking from the camp to adjoining tract where the Farm Security Administration (FSA) has just completed forty homes to be occupied by low income workers




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Shanty towns, also known as slums or favelas, are a stark reminder of the inequality and poverty that persist in many parts of the world. From Nigeria's Shanty town to Kigali's city slums in Rwanda, these communities are often characterized by overcrowded living conditions and limited access to basic amenities. In Brazil's Bahia, Salvador stands a favela at the heart of the bustling city. Here, armed forces members patrol relentlessly against drug dealers who have taken hold of Vila Kennedy. The struggle for safety and security is an ongoing battle. However, amidst the hardships faced by shantytown residents, there are moments that bring hope and unity. In Peru, a soccer field acts as a unifying force within these marginalized communities. It serves as a symbol of resilience and camaraderie despite their challenging circumstances. Yet tragedy can strike at any moment in these vulnerable settlements. Aerial views capture mudslides engulfing Carapita neighborhood in Caracas or fires raging through Pinheirinho slum in Brazil where residents desperately fight eviction. Nevertheless, life goes on even amidst adversity. Women walk along hillsides in Nueva Esperanza on Lima's outskirts while houses dotting the landscape serve as reminders of both resilience and struggle. In Mumbai's slum areas too, residents salvage what little they can from gutted hutments after devastating fires tear through their homes. These incidents highlight not only their vulnerability but also their determination to rebuild their lives time and time again. From Villa Maria del Triunfo district's foggy day view of Nueva Union shantytown to Cairo's now-demolished Maspero Triangle slum buildings; each image tells its own story - one filled with hardship but also strength and perseverance. Shanty towns may be synonymous with poverty-stricken neighborhoods lacking essential resources; however they are also home to resilient individuals who strive for better lives.