Dorothea Lange: Part II

A Snapshot Biography

Dorothea Lange, 1936

Dorothea Lange was born on a late spring day, May 26, 1895, in Hoboken, New Jersey. Growing up there, she encountered two challenges early in life that left a lasting imprint on her. At the age of seven, Dorothea contracted polio. While she survived the disease, it left her with a permanent limp. Along with the physical ailment came the taunting. Children, as they sometimes do, seized on her difference and nicknamed Dorothea "limpy." It was a cruel reminder of her struggle. Even her mother would sometimes make Dorothea feel bad about how she walked. In later years, when reflecting on the long shadow polio cast over her life, Dorothea spoke of it as both a tragedy and a defining force.

The second great challenge came when Dorothea was twelve years old. Her father, without warning, walked out on the family. One day he was there, and the next, he was gone—no goodbye, no explanation. He left behind an empty space where a father had once been. Dorothea would never see him again.