Migrant Mother

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The “Great Depression” was a time when men, women, and children all struggled through the challenges of a collapsing economy. Malnutrition, poverty, and fear ran rampant in America. Never before had Americans seen such hard times. Never before had they lived through the darkest side of life. Most people remember the photograph known as the “Migrant Mother”. It became the icon of the Depression. Many remember the “Migrant Mother” picture, but few knew her real name, Florence Owens, or her story.         

Florence was thirty-two, and her husband, Cleo, was sick. He had come face to face with death in a fight against pneumonia, and despite his so-called victory the poor man was weak from the struggle. Working in the mills and factories was all he could do to provide for his family.  The family was happy in 1925. Cleo had a job, Florence was taking care of her three children, and all of them had plenty of food.       

However, this good time was being pursued by a black cloud. The cloud wasn’t visible to most, but in time a storm would hit causing all to suffer from its rage. In 1929, the stock market crashed, and by 1931 the Depression had hit Florence and her family. Cleo had lost his job, which was a hard thing for anyone to cope with. With two new children in the family, money was becoming more and more important.  In search of work, the family moved in with Cleo’s siblings in Oroville, California. There he worked in the fields picking peaches and trying to make ends meet.          

One night, after a long day of picking peaches and bathing in the Feather River, Cleo was having trouble breathing. As he lay on the porch, he had a few private words with his wife. His exact words may never be known, but they surely must have sounded something like, “Florence, I love you. I’m sorry for the hard times we have faced. Please take care of the kids, and be the amazing mother you have always been.” That night, Cleo Owens past away, regrettably leaving his wife and six children behind. Florence had little time to mourn however; soon her brothers and sisters-in-law were discussing the arrangements for her children. They had decided that each of them would take a child to raise as their own, but Florence interrupted their plans with these words. “I know what you want to do, but it’s not right and I’m not going to let you, any of you take Cleo’s kids. I made a promise to Cleo to see his kids raised, and by God I’m going to keep that promise.”        

The next day, Florence moved her family in search of better work. She knew she wouldn’t be able to support all her children while working on the peach orchard. The family had wandered from camp to camp where the so-called “migrants” went for shelter and food. She set up her tent close to the entrance of the camp. This location would soon become the birthplace of the migrant mother.         

Florence had been staying in “Pea Pickers Camp” and the depression was in full force. Her car was broken down due to a shot water pump and a ruptured radiator. As Florence sat in her tent, the gleam from a new car caught her eye. Dorothea Lange stepped out of her car, camera in hand, not knowing what to expect. She had no reason to stop; she had taken more than enough pictures to satisfy her boss. However, the car seemed to drive it’s self into the small camp where a series of six pictures would be taken. Lange had seen Florence and her children the moment she stepped out of the car. Immediately she began taking pictures, one from her car then another as she came closer. Florence paid her no mind, but Dorothea grew closer and closer. Soon Lange had come to the entrance on the tent, and the six pictures of the “Migrant Mother” had been taken.          

 “Hello, I’m Dorothea Lange; I work for the Farm Security Administration documenting the Plight of the migrant worker. The photos will never be published, I promise.” That’s all she said before spinning around and returning to her car. Florence Owens may have put her trust in the wrong person. The very next morning, her picture was plastered on the front page of all the surrounding newspapers along with an article about the hunger of these American people who were working these fields for little to no pay. Dorothea Lange’s photographs of Florence may have been the most influential pictures of the time. Shortly after the newspaper article, men and women began showing up at the migrant camps with food, clothes, and some even offered shelter. Florence Owens was not there to see it. She had moved on already, in search of work and food. Florence Owens, also known as “Migrant Mother”, sparked the helping hand of the American people. Her picture, along with the spirit of America, pulled all Americans into the effort to aid these depression struck families.    Florence Owens died September 16, 1983. Her picture may have been the factor that influenced American’s into their helping nature, but she was ashamed of the photograph. She had been lied to, and a photograph picturing her in a time of suffering was posted on the cover of many newspapers. Her daughter, Katherine McIntosh, reported her side of the story to CNN with these words, “I wanted to make sure I never lived like that again.” She is the little girl with her face hidden to the left of Florence when you look at the photograph. “The picture came out in the paper to show the people what hard times was. People was starving in that camp. There was no food,” Katherine said. “We were ashamed of it. We didn't want no one to know who we were.” She said her mother was a proud woman that cared for her children more than anyone else. “We never had a lot, but she always made sure we had something. She didn't eat sometimes, but she made sure us children ate. That's one thing she did do.”             

From the time the picture was published, to the day she passed away, Florence Owens worked hard in everything she did. Her strong will and steadfast determination made her the backbone of her family. They will never forget the sacrifices their mother made. Florence Owens may have been the “Migrant Mother”, but she never asked for the title. She did not want people to idolize her because of her photograph. She didn’t want her hard times to be out in the open. However, the American people should be thankful for her. Her image is considered the face of the Depression, but it’s more than that. She was the face of the American people.                        

Citations  

http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/list/128_migm.html  taken 1/13/2009  

"Migrant Mother, 1936," EyeWitness to History, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com (2005). taken  1/13/2009  

“The Story” http://www.migrantgrandson.com/the.htm  taken 1/13/2009  

 Girl from iconic Great Depression photo: 'We were ashamed' taken 1/23/2009

Original Dorothea Lange Photographs of the Migrant Mother

These are the original black and white Migrant Mother photographs taken by Dorothea Lange. The world renown pictures have been restored and enhanced by the creators of picture-america.com.