This photograph is known as the ‘Migrant Mother’ and it is one of the most iconic photographs in American History. It was taken in 1936 by the American photographer Dorothea Lange, and it symbolises the hunger, poverty and hopelessness endured by many Americans during the Great Depression.

In this picture, we can see an elderly woman that is deep in thought and observing something in front of her while having her one hand lifted to her mouth. She has two children leaning against each of her shoulders, both facing away from the mother and appearing to be dressed in rags like the woman herself. There also appears to be a baby bundled up in a blanket on top of the woman’s lap.

The photographer took this picture from the waist up, with the mother being in the centre and two of her children on either shoulder, then turned it black and white. The lack of colour is  making it feel old and like the mother has lost all hope and is probably going through depression. There’s a lot of detail in this picture; for example, the woman’s wrinkles are very visible on her skin, which could symbolise all the stress she has gone through and all the anxiety. You can also see that there is dirt on their skins and clothing, showing that they have been struggling and going through this for a long time. This makes the viewer feel sympathy towards the mother and her children.