Dorothea Lange: Words and Pictures

Towards the end of her life, Dorothea Lange remarked that “all photographs — not only those that are so‑called 'documentary,' and every photograph really is documentary and belongs in some place, has a place in history — can be fortified by words.” Though Lange's career is widely heralded, this connection between words and pictures has received scant attention. This catalogue provides a fresh approach to some of her best‑known and beloved photographs, highlighting the ways in which these images first circulated in magazines, government reports, books, etc. An introductory text by curator Sarah Hermanson Meister will be followed by plates organized according to “words” from a variety of sources that expand our understanding of the photographs.

This book was published on the occasion of the exhibition 'Dorothea Lange: Words and Pictures', which was held at MoMA, New York from 9 February to 19 September 2020.