No comments about To a Cabin.

3 comments about Dorothea Lange: A Photographer's Life.

1. This book is very informative and filled with good solid facts. Any Dorthea Lange fan can appreciate this book.



2. I have purchased several books of Dorothea Lange's photography and find them very, very interesting.
   Definiely worth viewing. Her life, also so interesting.



3. 
   From Foreword:
   
   "This book, which first appeared in 1978, is more than a personal biography of a gifted and industrious photographer; it is a work of cultural and social history as well. As such, it deals with a number of issues that have received considerable critical attention in the past two decades. One is the role of women in American culture. In that Dorothea Lange was a woman active in a professional field largely occupied by men, the story of her life is of interest; it is especially so in terms of the reemergence of feminist ideology and thought that surfaced as the book was being written. Another theme revolves around changing perceptions with regard to the documentary mode of interpreting social reality. Because Lange chose to work in this mode at a time when it was just beginning to be transformed by the popular picture magazines, her story also touches on the relationship between the documentary genre and photo-journalism.
   
   ....
   
   For Lange...the 'visual life' (which she felt she had only just touched) involved a commitment to both the aesthetic and the humanist potentials of the medium. Perhaps a reaction to the alienated and didactic nature of much of the camera imagery of the 1980s and 1990s made her dedication to these goals appealing. Her interest in politics and social action, in women's roles in the family as professionals and workers, which are so cogently explored in this biography, have been further amplified in the numerous articles, books, and films that have issued forth in this time frame.
   
   .... [this book] remains singular in its vivid and all-encompassing exploration of the connections between art, public service, and individual sensibility."
   
   - excerpted from "Foreword" by Naomi Rosenblum

No comments about The Likes of Us: Photography and the Farm Security Administration.

No comments about American Photography and the American Dream (Cultural Studies of the United States).

1 comments about Dorothea Lange (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists).

1. I thought this books was an excellent tool in supporting my lesson plan. It is a great example to show students that women have made great contributions to the culture and ambiance of California. I found the text to be very simple yet quite moving. The book could be used for independednt reading or a read loud.

5 comments about Restless Spirit: The Life and Work of Dorothea Lange.

1. Well I love photography and for thoes of you who do this is the best book. Dorthea Lange was the best photographer and is obviously my favorite. This book tells the great story of her life and has great classic photos. I highly recomend this book



2. Are you looking for non-fiction which is well-written and interesting, and covers topics over which students are generally tested for state proficiency or competency standards? This book fits all requirements. The author doesn't flinch at presenting the difficult, occasionally less-than-flattering side of the talented photographer, so that the reader comes away with a feeling of having met a "real" person, albeit one with tremendous talent. Yet, Partridge focuses on the life and times of her subject without "sensationalism". The book is well-written. Partridge never talks down to her readers, and her clear language and vocabulary should be well within the capabilities of 7th, 8th or 9th grade students. This book ties art, social studies and language arts together in perfect harmony for a study of the Depression Era of US history. Adults will enjoy this book as well.



3. This isn't the most comprehensive book on Dorothea Lange, a woman of some complication. However, it can be a great introduction and a stimulus to looking deeper into her life and work. Ms. Partridge brings a unique perspective to the book that 'outside' biographers can't offer. I've been a fan of hers since I grew up in the sixties; she spawned along with others, a new generation of activist photographers. Many of the photos in this book are standards to be found elsewhere. What I particularly enjoyed were the family photos which can't be found elsewhere. My overriding impression of this subject was a prickly and difficult woman who was driven by her problematic past, combined with genius and empathy that few have possessed. Recommended for anyone new to Lange and her work. Written for the younger reader.



4. I am a photography student, and we had to read and write a book report on a photographer for class. I selected Dorothea because I am became interested in the 1930's through the 1950's in America, particularly photographically.
   Let me say that Dorothea lived a lifestyle way ahead of her time. During a period in America when women stayed home with their children and husbands, Dorothea farmed out her children to be on the road and working.
   I really enjoyed this book. It had some of her well-known photographs i.e. The Migrant Mother, and others that I enjoyed seeing. I wish there had been more of her photography in the book and perhaps more details of her life.
   The story is written by the daughter of her life-long assistant Ron Partridge. Elizabeth Partridge does a good job with the information she has at hand. I particularly enjoyed her own memories of families Thanksgiving day dinners shared at Dorothea's 20' long table.
   Great book as a start of a collection of Lange's work. It is also a nice reference for information about the American Dust Bowl, The migrant workers, Japanese Interment Camps during WWII, and The Great Depression, and tenant farmers in the South and Southwest! The story has given me a different perspective on America during this period I apparently didn't know a lot about. The conditions that American's dealt with, and the photographs that show the story, are shocking. I grew up in "white bread" New York, and could not fathom that such heart-ache existed in another part of our country just a couple of decades before my youth.
   The story of Lange's life and dedication truly gave me a new respect for her work, and the type of sacrifaces a person has to make to accumulate a body of work such as Lange's.
   I would recommend this book.



5. 
   Restless spirit: The life and work of Dorothea LangeDorothea Lange provides us with a great insight into the human condition and the state of humanity. Her photographs are timeless works of excellence. Anyone interested in photography, history or humanity will find her work compelling.

5 comments about Dorothea Lange: Photographs of a Lifetime (Aperture Monograph).

1. I had just recently seen a Lange exhibit when I bought this wonderful book. It starts with an essay on Lange by Robert Coles. Then it moves into her photographs and her own words. Her work is beautiful on its own, but to have the photographs and her philosophy side by side is an enriching experience. The photographs fill the entire book so it's a great read and a nice coffee table book. The images are primarily from her depression photos, but there are also pictures from around the world, her family and her early portraits. I also like that they included photographs of her and her oak trees. Dorothea Lange was a woman with such a unique perspective on life. I feel that this book does an excellent job of presenting her work.



2. This anthology is a well-packaged, heart-warmingly first-person annoted retrospective of Lange's career. Enlighening glimpses into Lange's personal point-of view are offered here, showcasing her stark Depression-era WPA migration shots alongside her later vignettes of the American western plains and western coastal dwellers captured in their every day routines. Therein lies this collection's strength and weakness: while her Americana movement captured a rural slice of America which later mediums still struggle to duplicate, that subject matter still did not match the sheer horror and power of her WPA work, which captured the raw strength of the human spirit during life-threatening crises. The diversity of this collection makes it an essential introductory volume, however.



3. Interesting book , history in photos with written words. Found it in book store for twice as much. The book store suggested to buy it on line. So glad I did.



4. Dorothea Lange: Photographs Of A Lifetime (Aperture Monograph)
   
   Dorothea Lange provides us with a great insight into the human condition and the state of humanity. Her photographs are timeless works of excellence. Anyone interested in photography, history or humanity will find her work compelling.



5. This is a beautiful collection of this outstanding photographer's work, with a special emphasis on her Depression-era work. Highly recommended.

1 comments about Presumed Innocence.

1. Spanning several continents and encompassing nearly the entire history of photography, Presumed Innocence examines the other side of childhood through the eyes of some of the most notable photographers in the history of the art. Not too surprisingly from the title, the outlook leans towards the bleaker side, with many of the youths pictured appearing wise, worldly, and sometimes merely old beyond their years, often because they had no choice. The collected images offer a counterpoint to the abundant smiles decorating mantles, wallets, Christmas cards and shoe boxes (or the digital equivalent thereof). Sometimes sad, sometimes disturbing, often poignant and occasionally amusing, this study of childhood demonstrates that children see, understand, and experience far more than adults are willing to give them credit.
   
   Given the Tag Suggestions as I write this review, I would stress that this book is far more representative of the American Deep South styles of photographers such as Sally Mann, Ralph Eugene Meatyard, and Dave Anderson, and the urban styles of Diane Arbus and Bruce Davidson than the romantically eroticised visions of David Hamilton or the idyllic naturism characteristic of many of the Russian schools.

5 comments about Impounded: Dorothea Lange and the Censored Images of Japanese American Internment.

1. When I first opened Impounded, I was a bit irritated at the length of the two written pieces that preceeded the actual photographs or Dorthea Lange. After reading the pieces by Linda Gordon and Gary Y. Okihiro I was much more aware of the depth of Lange's growing dislike of the idea of internment camps and just how valuable these photographs are to history. I confess, I had heard very little of these "relocations" during the war,barely aware that such a thing had happened. I had lived in Utah for over ten years before I knew one camp, Topaz, had been established in my own state. Page after page of Lange's clear eyed, unsentimental photos reveal just how stark and jarring these camps were. Photo after photo show American citizens lined up and submitting to the order to move. Faces show confusion, shame and sorrow. Other photos show the efforts made by camp inhabitants to bring horticulture, education and to instill a sense of community. Page of page of photos of fellow citizens being torn away from all they had built and worked for simply because they looked like the enemy. Page after page of Lange's clear-eyed documentation.
   Many, if not most of these photographs have never been seen on any widespread basis. She was working as a photographer for a government agency and they could use these as they saw fit. They were simply put away and never saw any widespread distribution. It is a testament to the skill and inspiration of the photographer that we have this book of unsentimental and honest images of that shameful time in our nation's past. The only minus is the size of the photos. I woud have liked to have a larger photos to study.



2. An injustice to Ms. Lange's photography. The photography of Ms. Lange is represented as the thesis of this book, but the photographs are so poorly reproduced that the point is lost. If you wish to learn a little about the internment of the Japanese-Americans during WWII it is adequate but as a retrospective of Ms. Lange's photography (which the publisher obviously is using as the marketing ploy), it is a failure.



3. As a teacher reading "Farewell To Manzanar," this book is invaluable describing the government attitude of the time. Yes it was wartime but, as Ronald Reagan said, "it was a mistake." These Lange photographs show the real hardships imposed on American citizens with no due process. They also show the courage and determination of these people. (Shikata ga nai)
   
   The book itself is produced well with very good photo reproduction. It will be a personal favorite and a classroom resource for a long time.



4. Truly marvelous photos and insightful essays combine to make real for those of us too young to remember, as well as for those who lived outside of the camps. A moving tribute to an unfortunate, if not shameful, part of American history.



5. I purchased the book based on previous photos by Dorothea Lange during the Japanese internment period in the United States. She is an excellent photographer, unfortunately the reproduction of her prints were fair in this book.

3 comments about Daring to Look: Dorothea Lange's Photographs and Reports from the Field.

1. As someone who used iconic Lange photos in my American Studies classes for years, this book in one I wish I had had BEFORE I retired last year! Their are photos I hadn't seen, in areas I didn't know she worked and, most importantly, her 'reports from the field'. These notes and extended captions give tremendous background to the photos and would be very interesting to students.



2. Daring to Look: Dorothea Lange's Photographs and Reports from the Field
   
   A talented photographer who went from studio portraits to capturing the struggles and suffering of folks who lost everything in The Great Depression. This book demonstrates Ms. Lange's photographic and positive developing skills used to capture the feel of her subjects and their surroundings.



3. Anne Spirn's latest book is really quite outstanding. She combines the clear eye of a superlative photographer (her own) to write in limpid prose about the clear eye and conscience of another (Dorothea Lange's). This is not just a meta-documentary, a documentary of a documentary, it is also an examination of the changes that have been wrought in the United States over the last two to three generations, in the physical landscape, in the socio-economy, and in our moral landscape. Lange represented in her photographs some of the critical ironies in the fabric of America - the high mindedness of the WPA program, the debilitating material poverty of her subjects and equally, a spiritual nobility as revealed in the images and her notes. Lange herself, her photographs and the vast subject matter she made her essay are little known in the new generation. Anne Spirn has done the next generation a great service in tilling this soil anew.