On the Road Toward Los Angeles, California, March 1937. 1937

Curator: Dorothea Lange captured this image, "On the Road Toward Los Angeles, California, March 1937," a poignant scene now housed at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: My first thought is the stark contrast between the hopeful billboard and the weary figures on the road. The Southern Pacific ad promises relaxation, but these men embody anything but. Curator: The billboard serves as a cruel irony, doesn't it? Lange often used such visual cues to highlight the disparities of the Depression era, examining how institutions like railroads were perceived versus the lived experiences of ordinary people. Editor: Absolutely. The road itself becomes a symbol of their journey, a path laden with uncertainty. Their burdens are palpable; the bag and suitcase suggest not just physical belongings but also hopes and dreams carried along the way. Curator: The symbolic weight of the road—the archetype of the journey—is so fitting here. Are they leaving behind failure, or seeking opportunity? Lange leaves that question resonating in the quiet dignity of her subjects. Editor: Ultimately, Lange's composition underscores the human cost of economic hardship and challenges the romanticized imagery that corporations often use to promote their services. It makes you wonder about the politics of imagery then and now. Curator: I see it as a timeless meditation on resilience, a moment captured that still speaks volumes about the human spirit's capacity to endure.