Mexican workers leaving for melon fields, Imperial Valley, California  c. 1935 - 1949

"Mexican Workers Leaving for Melon Fields, Imperial Valley, California" is a powerful black and white photograph by Dorothea Lange, taken between 1935 and 1949. The image captures three Mexican men, their faces partially obscured by wide-brimmed hats, gazing into the distance. The stark contrast between the bright white sky and their dark figures creates a sense of isolation and emphasizes the hard labor endured by migrant workers. Lange's photograph is a poignant depiction of the realities of agricultural work in the American Southwest during the Great Depression and World War II.