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Oldest son of a sharecropper family working in the cotton, Chesnee, South Carolina, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
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Oldest son of a sharecropper family working in the cotton, Chesnee, South Carolina, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Oldest son of a sharecropper family working in the cotton. Chesnee, South Carolina
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Media ID 36207827
© Heritage Art/Heritage Images
Agricultural Workers Cotton Cotton Field Exploitation Farm Hands Farm Labourers Farm Workers Farmer Farmhands Farming Methods Farmworkers Mule Mules North Carolina Usa Plough Ploughing Sharecropper South South Carolina United States Of America Southern Tenant Farmer The Carolinas Typical United States Office Of War Information 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 "Oldest son of a sharecropper family working in the cotton. Chesnee, South Carolina," was captured by renowned American photographer Dorothea Lange in the 1930s during the Great Depression. The image offers a poignant glimpse into the harsh realities of agricultural labor during this period, as depicted through the weary expression and worn clothing of the young man in the foreground. The scene unfolds in a cotton field, where the sun-scorched earth stretches out before the viewer, dotted with bolls of cotton and interspersed with the occasional mule or horse. The oldest son, dressed in tattered work clothes and wearing a straw hat, is shown bent over, his back towards the camera, as he toils under the unforgiving sun. The image is a stark reminder of the economic exploitation and hardship that characterized the lives of many farm laborers during this era. Lange, a pioneering figure in documentary photography, captured this moment as part of her work for the Farm Security Administration (FSA) and the Office of War Information (OWI). Her images, which documented the lives of ordinary Americans during the Great Depression and World War II, are now considered an invaluable record of American history. This photograph, in particular, stands out for its powerful portrayal of the human cost of agricultural labor during a time of economic hardship. The image is a nitrate negative, a photographic process that was popular during the early to mid-20th century. It is a testament to Lange's skill as a photographer and her commitment to capturing the human condition with empathy and authenticity. Today, this photograph serves as an enduring reminder of the past, offering a glimpse into a time and place that continues to shape our understanding of American history and the experiences of those who lived through it.
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