Line of men inside a division office of the State Employment Service office at San Francisco, California, waiting to register for unemployment benefits  c. 1938 - 1969

Dorothea Lange's photograph "Line of men inside a division office of the State Employment Service office at San Francisco, California, waiting to register for unemployment benefits," captured the stark reality of the Great Depression in the United States. Taken between 1938 and 1969, the photograph shows a line of men, many wearing hats, patiently waiting to register for unemployment benefits at a San Francisco office. Lange's work, known for its documentary style, exposed the social and economic hardship of the time, drawing attention to the plight of those affected by the Depression. The photograph's black and white composition emphasizes the somber mood and emphasizes the bleakness of the situation.