Once a Missouri farmer, now a migratory farm laborer. San Joaquin Valley, California  c. 1936 - 1965

"Once a Missouri farmer, now a migratory farm laborer. San Joaquin Valley, California" is a powerful black and white photograph by Dorothea Lange taken between 1936 and 1965. The image captures the stoic gaze of a weathered farmer, likely displaced from the Dust Bowl, seated behind the wheel of a vehicle. The composition emphasizes his worn features and the steering wheel, highlighting the harsh realities of migrant labor and the long journey these individuals endured in search of work. Lange's photo exemplifies her renowned documentary style, capturing the struggles of everyday people during the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl era.