Richmond, California  c. 1942 - 1965

This is a photograph by Dorothea Lange, who worked in black and white to capture a crowd in Richmond, California. It’s a gray day and the people are all walking in the same direction, maybe to work or maybe from it. I wonder what it was like for Lange, shooting this scene. Did she try to be invisible, or did she ask people to pose? Each face has so much story in it, but what can a photograph really tell us about any of those people? I see hats and coats, a few smiles, a lot of serious expressions. It feels like a moment frozen in time, but life keeps rushing on. Lange’s choice of black and white flattens the image, making it feel both distant and intimate. There’s a rhythm in the repetition of figures, but each one is an individual, too. What did she think about as she worked? So many photographers capture this kind of social reality, each bringing their own perspective. It’s a never-ending conversation.