Farmer from Independence, Kansas, on the road at cotton chopping time.
Between Tulare and Fresno on U.S. 99. Farmer from Independence, Kansas, on the road at cotton chopping time. He and his family have been in California for six months.
1939 May.
photographer: Dorothea Lange
Part of: Farm Security Administration – Office of War Information Photograph Collection
Repository: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, DC 20540 USA
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
He looks happy enough to be leaving California- I can’t imagine working cotton. Terrible work.
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Oh I think working cotton must have been awful work indeed…but what a great photograph and story…Thank you for sharing.
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Michelle – I don’t think he’s leaving California. The caption says he’s on the road between Fresno and Tulare. Cotton picking certainly was terrible work, but there were plenty of people desperate to do any kind of work.
Patricia – Dorothea Lange took a lot of great photos and I’ll continue to share more of hers as well as photos from other photographers. Thanks for commenting!