The Great Depression

The Dust Bowl, the migrant camps and the sharecropper South as the Farm Security Administration photographers saw them (Dorothea Lange, Arthur Rothstein, Walker Evans, Russell Lee), with clips from 1930s documentaries and home movies. All public domain and free to use in your film, video or book.

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"Migrant Mother," by Dorothea Lange — Lange, Dorothea — 1936

"Migrant Mother," by Dorothea LangeLange, Dorothea · 1936

The bleached skull of a steer on the dry sun-baked earth of the South Dakota Badlands — Rothstein, Arthur — 1936-01-01

The bleached skull of a steer on the dry sun-baked earth of the South Dakota BadlandsRothstein, Arthur · 1936-01-01

Texas tenant farmer in Marysville, California, migrant camp during the peach season. 1927 made seven thousand dollars in cotton. 1928 broke even. 1929 went in the hole. 1930 still deeper. 1931 lost everything. 1932 hit the road. 1935, fruit tramp in California — Lange, Dorothea — 1935-01-01

Texas tenant farmer in Marysville, California, migrant camp during the peach season. 1927 made seven thousand dollars in cotton. 1928 broke even. 1929 went in the hole. 1930 still deeper. 1931 lost everything. 1932 hit the road. 1935, fruit tramp in CaliforniaLange, Dorothea · 1935-01-01

Young boy eats piece of bread — Educational Film Institute, New York University — 1940

Film Young boy eats piece of breadEducational Film Institute, New York University · 1940

Father of landless sharecropper family. Macon County, Georgia — Lange, Dorothea — 1937-01-01

Father of landless sharecropper family. Macon County, GeorgiaLange, Dorothea · 1937-01-01

Heavy black clouds of dust rising over the Texas Panhandle, Texas — Rothstein, Arthur — 1936-01-01

Heavy black clouds of dust rising over the Texas Panhandle, TexasRothstein, Arthur · 1936-01-01

Allie Mae Burroughs, wife of cotton sharecropper. Hale County, Alabama — Evans, Walker — 1936-01-01

Allie Mae Burroughs, wife of cotton sharecropper. Hale County, AlabamaEvans, Walker · 1936-01-01

Dust Bowl farm. Coldwater District, north of Dalhart, Texas. This house is occupied; most of the houses in this district have been abandoned — Lange, Dorothea — 1938-01-01

Dust Bowl farm. Coldwater District, north of Dalhart, Texas. This house is occupied; most of the houses in this district have been abandonedLange, Dorothea · 1938-01-01

Farmer and sons walking in the face of a dust storm. Cimarron County, Oklahoma — Rothstein, Arthur — 1936

Farmer and sons walking in the face of a dust storm. Cimarron County, OklahomaRothstein, Arthur · 1936

Rural Family Walking Cow in Deep Snow — Educational Film Institute, New York University — 1940

Film Rural Family Walking Cow in Deep SnowEducational Film Institute, New York University · 1940

Pea picker carrying a hamper of peas to the weighmaster. Nipomo, California — Lange, Dorothea — 1937-01-01

Pea picker carrying a hamper of peas to the weighmaster. Nipomo, CaliforniaLange, Dorothea · 1937-01-01

Evicted sharecroppers along Highway 60, New Madrid County, Missouri — Rothstein, Arthur — 1939-01-01

Evicted sharecroppers along Highway 60, New Madrid County, MissouriRothstein, Arthur · 1939-01-01

Jack Whinery, homesteader, and his family, Pie Town, New Mexico — Lee, Russell — 1939-01-01

Jack Whinery, homesteader, and his family, Pie Town, New MexicoLee, Russell · 1939-01-01

Unemployed Man with Job Wanted Sign — Federal Works Agency. Work Projects Administration — 1937

Film Unemployed Man with Job Wanted SignFederal Works Agency. Work Projects Administration · 1937

Dust storm. Amarillo, Texas — Rothstein, Arthur — 1936-01-01

Dust storm. Amarillo, TexasRothstein, Arthur · 1936-01-01

Frank Tengle, Bud Fields, and Floyd Burroughs, cotton sharecroppers, Hale County, Alabama — Evans, Walker — 1936-01-01

Frank Tengle, Bud Fields, and Floyd Burroughs, cotton sharecroppers, Hale County, AlabamaEvans, Walker · 1936-01-01

North Dakota farm family moving to Idaho at port of entry near Miles City, Montana — Rothstein, Arthur — 1936-01-01

North Dakota farm family moving to Idaho at port of entry near Miles City, MontanaRothstein, Arthur · 1936-01-01

William A. Swift, once a farmer, now a resident of Circleville's "Hooverville." When he returned from the war he went West. "Made awful good money jobbin' around." — Shahn, Ben — 1938-01-01

William A. Swift, once a farmer, now a resident of Circleville's "Hooverville." When he returned from the war he went West. "Made awful good money jobbin' around."Shahn, Ben · 1938-01-01

Faro and Doris Caudill, homesteaders, Pie Town, New Mexico — Lee, Russell — 1939-01-01

Faro and Doris Caudill, homesteaders, Pie Town, New MexicoLee, Russell · 1939-01-01

Young Men Sawing Massive Log Outdoors — Office for Emergency Management. War Manpower Commission. Bureau of Training. National Youth Administration — 1940

Film Young Men Sawing Massive Log OutdoorsOffice for Emergency Management. War Manpower Commission. Bureau of Training. National Youth Administration · 1940

The riding boss. Aldridge Plantation, Mississippi — Lange, Dorothea — 1937-01-01

The riding boss. Aldridge Plantation, MississippiLange, Dorothea · 1937-01-01

Migrant woman from Arkansas living in contractor's camp near Westley, California. She would prefer to live in a government camp, but the contractor system prevents, because of control over allocations of work — Lange, Dorothea — 1939-01-01

Migrant woman from Arkansas living in contractor's camp near Westley, California. She would prefer to live in a government camp, but the contractor system prevents, because of control over allocations of workLange, Dorothea · 1939-01-01

Old deserted shack, tenant house, in grain field. Greene County, Georgia — Wolcott, Marion Post — 1939-01-01

Old deserted shack, tenant house, in grain field. Greene County, GeorgiaWolcott, Marion Post · 1939-01-01

Laborers Laying Brick Roadway by Hand — Federal Works Agency. Work Projects Administration — 1937

Film Laborers Laying Brick Roadway by HandFederal Works Agency. Work Projects Administration · 1937

White migrant mother with son, Weslaco, Texas — Lee, Russell — 1939-01-01

White migrant mother with son, Weslaco, TexasLee, Russell · 1939-01-01

Mrs. Frank Tengle, Hale County, Alabama — Evans, Walker — 1936-01-01

Mrs. Frank Tengle, Hale County, AlabamaEvans, Walker · 1936-01-01

Toward Los Angeles, California — Lange, Dorothea — 1937-01-01

Toward Los Angeles, CaliforniaLange, Dorothea · 1937-01-01

Miners changing shift, Birmingham, Alabama — Rothstein, Arthur, United States. Resettlement Administration — 1937-01-01

Miners changing shift, Birmingham, AlabamaRothstein, Arthur, United States. Resettlement Administration · 1937-01-01

Farmers harvesting corn alongside wooden wagon — Besse (Ivan) — 1938

Film Farmers harvesting corn alongside wooden wagonBesse (Ivan) · 1938

Sign on Withlacoochee Land Use Project, Florida — Rothstein, Arthur, United States. Resettlement Administration — 1937-01-01

Sign on Withlacoochee Land Use Project, FloridaRothstein, Arthur, United States. Resettlement Administration · 1937-01-01

Mr. Leatherman, homesteader, shooting hawks which have been carrying away his chickens, Pie Town, New Mexico — Lee, Russell — 1939-01-01

Mr. Leatherman, homesteader, shooting hawks which have been carrying away his chickens, Pie Town, New MexicoLee, Russell · 1939-01-01

On the sun side of the shed. Transient men, San Francisco, California — Lange, Dorothea — 1936-01-01

On the sun side of the shed. Transient men, San Francisco, CaliforniaLange, Dorothea · 1936-01-01

President Roosevelt with rehabilitation client. Mandan, North Dakota — Rothstein, Arthur — 1936-01-01

President Roosevelt with rehabilitation client. Mandan, North DakotaRothstein, Arthur · 1936-01-01