Dorothea Lange (Portraits of Women Artists for Children) [Library Binding]

Robyn Montana Turner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1994 | Age Level: 9 and up | Series: Portraits of Women Artists for Children

The author of the Portraits of Women Artists series juxtaposes the details of Depression photographer Dorothea Lange's life with the images of her work to show how the photographer used the camera as an instrument of social change.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6-An excellent introduction to the life and work of this documentary photographer. Thoughtful and poignant, harsh and realistic, Lange's photographs are not only the masterpieces of her professional career, but also reflections of the artist herself. Turner recounts that this woman, who captured unforgettable images of the human condition during the Great Depression, faced many personal difficulties, including being stricken with polio at age 7 and deserted by her father at 12. But, from the moment she decided to become a photographer after high school, her dedication to her art never waivered. Her genius for capturing people in unposed moments is evident in the examples of some of her most famous black-and-white photos that appear throughout the book. The quality of the reproductions is excellent, and it is obvious that great care was taken to select examples that would show her talent for translating a wide range of troubling social issues into indelible images. The text also gives an authentic sense of the 1920s and '30s. A fine addition.
Carol Schene, Taunton Public Schools, MA
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 3-6. Part of Turner's fine Portraits of Women Artists for Children series, this is a very readable photo-essay of Lange's life and her work in establishing documentary photography as an art. In simple terms Turner talks about particular pictures, pointing out how Lange took them and why they work, how she focused on particular images, and how she used lighting, angle, perspective, and background. The black-and-white photos are well reproduced, and the clear, precise captions make you look closely and think about why the images have enduring power. The cover photo, "Migrant Mother," taken in California in 1936, has become a trademark of Lange's work and of the Depression era. This is an art book; it's also an excellent resource for curriculum units on the 1930s. Hazel Rochman

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Library Binding: 32 pages
• Publisher: Little Brown & Co (Juv); 1st edition (October 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316856568
• ISBN-13: 978-0316856560
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #607,089 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #77 in Books > Children's Books > Arts, Crafts & Music > Photography

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