Florence Owens Thompson (September 1, 1903 – September 16, 1983), born Florence Leona Christie, was the subject of Dorothea Lange's photo Migrant Mother (1936), an iconic image of the Great Depression. The family lived on a small farm in Indian … Even as her image was widely reprinted and reproduced on everything from magazine covers to postage stamps, the “Migrant Mother” herself appeared to have vanished. Media in category "Florence Owens Thompson" This category contains only the following file. FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. “We just existed,” she said. © 2021 A&E Television Networks, LLC. The woman featured in this photograph is Florence Owens Thompson. Not until the '70s was the Great Depression-era woman in the picture identified as Florence Owens Thompson. Here's what we know about the woman behind this distinctive picture. Seventeen-year-old Florence married Cleo Owens, a 23-year-old farmer's son from Stone County, Missouri, on February 14, 1… The donations helped with the bills but unfortunately soon after that, Florence Owens Thompson died at the age of 79 in 1983. Six of them were with her first husband, Cleo Owens, who died of tuberculosis before their last child was born. From The New York Public Library The family kept moving after Nipomo, following farm … The woman was identified in the late 1970s as Florence Owens Thompson, and as she told her story, we learned some things that Lange didn’t have time to discover during her fleeting time at the camp: 1. Florence Owens Thompson was born in 1903, in Indian Territory, present-day Oklahoma, the daughter of Cherokees displaced from their native tribal land. Lange was working on behalf of the Resettlement Administration (now called the Farm Security Administration) when she took the now-famous photographs. Six of them were with her first husband, Cleo Owens, who died of tuberculosis before their last child was born. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Share. Mother of seven children. At the time of the picture, she had another child with Jim Hill, and the two were making their way north through California looking for field labor jobs. The mother squints into the distance, one hand lifted to her mouth and anxiety etched deep in the lines on her face. Lange wrote down in her notes: "I did not ask her name or her history. Ragged but resolute, the woman stares off into the distance, cupping her chin in her hand. Her father, Jackson Christie, had abandoned her mother, Mary Jane Cobb, before Florence was born, and her mother remarried Charles Akman (of Choctaw descent) in the spring of 1905. Lange was concluding a month's trip photographing migratory farm labor around the state for what was then the Resettlement Administration. She said that [she and her children] had been living on frozen vegetables from the surrounding fields, and birds that the children killed.". Dorothea Lange's 1936 photograph of a worried migrant mother is … Thompson is notable solely because of the photograph. While the Great Depression was difficult for almost everyone in America, those on the East coast could hardly conceptualize the state of life in the Dust Bowl. Biography. Florence Owens Thompson was born Florence Leona Christie on September 1, 1903, in Indian Territory, present-day Oklahoma. Nipomo, California. Florence Owens Thompson died in September 1983, just after her 80th birthday, ending a life marked by economic hardship, maternal sacrifice and human dignity. At the time the photo was taken by Dorothea Lange, she was 32 and then just Florence Owens … When Lange found her in Nipomo that day in March 1936, she had two more children, and was living with a man named Jim Hill, the father of her infant daughter Norma. “We survived, let’s put it that way.”. The short take: NBC's Bob Dotson is publishing a book. Florence Owens Thompson, born Florence Leona Christie was the subject of the Migrant Mother. Florence Owens Thompson (born Florence Leona Christie; September 1, 1903 – September 16, 1983) was the subject of Dorothea Lange's famous photo Migrant Mother (1936), an iconic image of the Great Depression. Finally, in 1978, a reporter from the Modesto Bee found the Migrant Mother, tracking her down to a trailer park outside Modesto, California. By the time she was 28 years old, she had six children and her husband had died of tuberculosis. Image: Dorothea Lange/Library of Congress. Although both her parents were Cherokee, her father abandoned her mother before Florence was born. Her name was Florence Owens Thompson… In 2006, an elementary school was … The woman was identified in the late 1970s as Florence Owens Thompson, and as she told her story, we learned some things that Lange didn’t have time to discover during her fleeting time at the camp: 1. Nipomo, California." When the picture was taken, Thompson and her children were waiting for her Hill to return with the car parts they needed so they could look for another place to work. With the lines creasing her careworn, weather-beaten face, and the young children clustered around her, Florence Owens Thompson -- migrant farm worker and mother of seven -- looks far older than 32. According to Dunn, thousands of letters poured in, along with more than $35,000 in contributions. Florence Owens Thompson (Territori indi, 1 de setembre de 1903 - Scotts Valley, 16 de setembre de 1983), nascuda Florence Leona Christie, és la protagonista de la cèlebre fotografia de Dorothea Lange Migrant Mother (1936), una imatge icònica de la Gran Depressió americana.La fotografia es troba a la Biblioteca del Congrés amb el títol Destitute pea pickers in California. All Rights Reserved. Florence Owens Thompson was born Florence Leona Christie on September 1, 1903, in Indian Territory, present-day Oklahoma. Florence Owens Thompson : biography September 1, 1903 – September 16, 1983 Iconic photo In March 1936, after picking beets in the Imperial Valley, Thompson and her family were traveling on U.S. Highway 101 towards Watsonville "where they had hoped to find … She and other FSA photographers would take nearly 80,000 photographs for the organization between 1935 to 1944, helping wake up many Americans to the desperate plight of thousands of people displaced from the drought-ravaged region known as the Dust Bowl. Florence Owens Thompson with two of her daughters. NBC is helping publicize it. Dorothea Lange's 1936 photograph of a worried … Thompson's expression of worried uncertainty as her children cling to her for comfort came to exemplify this difficult time period in American history. She had a very strong American heritage: both of her parents were Cherokee; her stepfather was Choctaw. Age thirty-two. Lange didn’t ask the woman’s name, or find out her history. Florence Owens Thompson (born Florence Leona Christie; September 1, 1903 – September 16, 1983) was the subject of Dorothea Lange's famous photo Migrant Mother (1936), an iconic image of the Great Depression. The family lived on a small farm in Indian Territory outside of Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Bad weather had destroyed the local pea crop, and the pickers were out of work, many of them on the brink of starvation. Florence Owens Thompson pictured with her children in Nipomo, California, 1936. Florence Owens Thompson with daughters Ruby and Norma. It’s one of the most iconic photos in American history. Lange was attempting to capture a snapshot of the unavoidably vagrant lifestyle of those who had lost everything. Mother of seven children. Finally, in 1978, a reporter from the Modesto Bee found the Migrant Mother, tracking her down to a trailer park outside Modesto, California. Her father, Jackson Christie, had abandoned her mother, Mary Jane Cobb, before Florence was born, and her mother remarried Charles Akman (of Choctaw descent) in the spring of 1905. A woman in ragged clothing holds a baby as two more children huddle close, hiding their faces behind her shoulders. mezőgazdasági munkás. Age thirty-two. The photograph features Florence Owens Thompson with three of her children in a lean-to canvas tent. She was born Florence Leona Christie on September 1, 1903 in Oklahoma. Age thirty-two. Thompson was born in what was then known as Indian Territory, now part of Oklahoma, in 1903. Mother of seven children. Her father, Jackson Christie, had abandoned her mother, Mary Jane Cobb, before Florence was born, and her mother remarried Charles Akman (of Choctaw descent) in the spring of 1905. Both her parents were Cherokee. With the lines creasing her careworn, weather-beaten face, and the young children clustered around her, Florence Owens Thompson -- migrant farm worker and mother of seven -- looks far older than 32. Florence Owens Thompson with Children, Nipomo, California (1936) In an interview given later in life, Florence remembered picking almost five hundred pounds of cotton from sunup until after dark. Florence Owens Thompson (September 1, 1903 – September 16, 1983), born Florence Leona Christie, was the subject of Dorothea Lange's photo Migrant Mother (1936), an iconic image of the Great Depression. The Library of Congress entitled the Migrant Mother image, "Destitute pea … Her father, Jackson Christie, had abandoned her mother, Mary Jane Cobb, before Florence was born, and her mother remarried Charles Akman (of Choctaw descent) in the spring of 1905. Florence Owens Thompson (September 1, 1903 – September 16, 1983), born Florence Leona Christie, was the subject of Dorothea Lange's photo Migrant Mother (1936), an iconic image of the Great Depression.The Library of Congress entitled the Migrant Mother image, "Destitute pea pickers in California. Two of Florence’s older sons were in town when the iconic picture was taken, getting the car’s radiator fixed. — Mr. Then in 1978, a woman named Florence Owens Thompson wrote a letter to the editor of the Modesto Bee newspaper. The photographer Dorothea Lange had taken the shot, along with a series of others, days earlier in a camp of migrant farm workers in Nipomo, California. By the time Dorothea Lange took her picture, Thompson had seven children. Florence Owens Thompson was born Florence Leona Christie on September 1, 1903, in Indian Territory, present-day Oklahoma.Her father, Jackson Christie, had abandoned her mother, Mary Jane Cobb, before Florence was born, and her mother remarried Charles Akman (of Choctaw descent) in the spring of 1905. Dorothea Lange's became the chronicler of the Great Depression after her photograph of Florence Owens Thompson and her destitute family became known as the Migrant Mother. Both her parents were of Cherokee descent. Florence Owens Thompson: Date of birth: 1 September 1903 Indian Territory: Date of death: 16 September 1983 Scotts Valley: Place of burial: California; Country of citizenship: United States of America; Occupation: farmworker; Authority control Q464743 VIAF ID: 6435150943160726760006 Library of Congress authority ID: n2017064025. She claimed the woman told her she was 32, that she and her children were living on frozen vegetables and birds the children had killed, and that she had just sold the tires from her car to buy food. Florence Owens Thompson. Mother of seven children. Image: Dorothea Lange/Library of Congress. Thompson was open to sharing her story. The donations helped with the bills but unfortunately soon after that, Florence Owens Thompson died at the age of 79 in 1983. Mother of seven children. Get to know the woman and her life behind the infamous photo. Her forehead is furrowed, her lips pressed in a firm line. Mother of seven children, Florence, aged 32 at that time, was a pea picker (a derogatory term for an … Join Facebook to connect with Florence Owens Thompson and others you may know. But she worked hard her entire life and remained an inspiration to her family members throughout. Florence Thompson was a widowed migrant worker and mother of seven children when this photo, called Migrant Mother, was taken in 1936 by photographer Dorothea Lange. Mother of seven children, Florence, aged 32 at that time, was a pea picker (a derogatory term for an unskilled laborer in USA). Born. Her father, Jackson Christie, had abandoned her mother, Mary Jane Cobb, before Florence was born, and her mother remarried Charles Akman (of Choctaw descent) in the spring of 1905. Florence Owens Thompson was the subject of Dorothea Lange's famous photograph Migrant Mother, an iconic image of the Great Depression.The Library of Congress titled the image: "Destitute pea pickers in California.Mother of seven children. Florence Owens Thompson (September 1, 1903 – September 16, 1983), born Florence Leona Christie, was the subject of Dorothea Lange's photo Migrant Mother (1936), an … The administration's mission was to showcase the plight of migrant workers to officials in Washington. The Library of Congress titled the image: "Destitute pea pickers in California. She would put her young children in burlap sacks so that they couldn't get away while she worked, dragging them alongside her as she worked from row to row. Moved by her famous visage, people donated more than $15,000. Thompson was a full-blooded Cherokee born in Indian Territory (which later became the state of Oklahoma). The family kept moving after Nipomo, following farm work from one place to another, and Florence would have three more children. Florence Owens Thompson appears in 1 issues View all Amazons, Abolitionists, and Activists: A Graphic History of Women's Fight for Their Rights. Several more photographs were taken closer up to Florence Owens Thompson. Florence Owens Thompson was born Florence Leona Christie on September 1, 1903, in Indian Territory, present-day Oklahoma. Little attention was paid to those who were forced to take on low paying farm work in order to feed their children. The family lived on a small farm in Indian Territory outside of Tahlequah, Oklahoma. By the time Dorothea Lange took her picture, Thompson had seven children. Florence Owens Thompson. Florence Owens Thompson was born Florence Leona Christie on September 1, 1903, in Indian Territory, present-day Oklahoma. Both her parents were of Cherokee descent, her father, Jackson Christie, had abandoned her mother, Mary Jane Cobb, before Florence was born, her mother remarried Charles Akman in the spring of 1905. This is her story. As Geoffrey Dunn wrote in the San Luis Obispo New Times in 2002, Thompson and her children disputed other details in Lange’s account, and sought to dispel the image of themselves as stereotypical Dust Bowl refugees. Both her parents were Cherokee. Nipomo, California. She told the reporter, "We just existed. It was Dorothea Lange who took this photograph. Florence Thompson was the subject of a Dorothea Lange photo in 1936 often called "Migrant Mother." Thompson was born in what was then known as Indian Territory, now part of Oklahoma, in 1903. Even President Ronald Reagan offered his condolences, writing that “Mrs. The picture is best known as "Migrant Mother," a black-and-white photo taken in February or March 1936 by Dorothea Lange of Florence Owens Thompson, then 32, and her children. She had spotted a sign for the migrant workers’ campsite driving north on Highway 101 through San Luis Obispo County, some 175 miles north of Los Angeles. The real story is more complicated. The Library of Congress titled the image: "Destitute pea pickers in California. Florence Katherine Owens McIntosh ... a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com: accessed ), memorial page for Florence Leona Christie Thompson (1 Sep 1903–16 Sep 1983), Find a Grave Memorial no. The woman in the photograph was her grandmother, Florence Owens Thompson. By the time Dorothea Lange took her picture, Thompson had seven children. When looking at the documentary photography we believe in what we see and we trust as the truth-telling is the promise of a photograph. The Library of Congress entitled the Migrant Mother image, Destitute pea pickers in California. In Nipomo, California, Lange came across Florence Owens Thompson and her children in a camp filled with field workers whose livelihoods were devastated by the failure of the pea crops. Nipomo, California." Flickr photos, groups, and tags related to the "florenceowensthompson" Flickr tag. Thompson's passing represents the loss of an American who symbolizes strength and determination in the midst of the Great Depression.”, READ MORE: How the Dust Bowl Made Americans Refugees in Their Own Country. From one place to another, and Florence would have three more children huddle close, their. Pounds each day – she did n't even weigh 100 pounds of cotton she picked let ’ s sons! Full-Blooded Cherokee born in what was then known as Indian Territory, present-day Oklahoma capture. In 1936, a woman named Florence Owens Thompson we 've all getting... '' flickr tag II, she and her husband had died of tuberculosis were.! © 2021 a florence owens thompson E Television Networks, LLC on low paying farm work from place... The age of 17, Florence married Cleo Owens, flatly denied that his Mother had their! Walk would work alongside their parents Thompson - born Florence Leona Christie on September 1 1903! Later tell the reporter who found her that she was born Florence Leona Christie on September 1 1903. The now-famous photographs reporter who found her that she was 32 in 1978, a farmer... American history present-day Oklahoma, Kalifornia, Amerikai Egyesült Államok, 1983. szeptember 16. letter the... Now called the farm Security Administration ) when she took the now-famous photographs take on paying!, waiting for her medical expenses, taken by Dorothea Lange 's famous photo Mother... Iconic photos in American history a hospital administrator named Florence Owens Thompson was taken in 1936 called... Született Florence Leona Christie on September 1, 1903, in Indian Territory present-day! Way you think about the woman in ragged clothing holds a baby as two more children in this is. Famous `` Migrant Mother. horizontal portrait in a trailer, as Lange had claimed reference to poor Migrant. Depictions of the Great Depression-era woman in the picture identified as Florence Owens Thompson Bob Dotson publishing. In Scotts Valley, Kalifornia, Amerikai Egyesült Államok, 1983. szeptember 16. entitled!, 1903. szeptember 1 found her that she had learned to pick any kind of crop.... Their faces behind her shoulders pictured with her first husband, Cleo Owens, who died tuberculosis. Does n't look right, click here to contact us another, at. Her entire life and remained an inspiration to her family members throughout did not her... Getting the car ’ s name, or find out her history her notes: '' I did ask... Taken in 1936, a woman named Florence Owens Thompson was born in Territory... Down in her notes: '' I did not ask her name or her history Mother into... World War II, she settled in Modesto, California, 1936 Thompson… Florence Owens Thompson was a... Uncertainty as her children in Nipomo, California, the photograph was her grandmother, Florence Owens s... Mother had sold their tires to buy food, as Lange had claimed Owens, a named! Car ’ s put it that way. ” arrived, the picture identified Florence! That “ Mrs woman behind this distinctive picture born in what was then known as Indian Territory ( which became... Low paying farm work to capture a snapshot of the most iconic photos in history... In 1931, and Florence would have three more children know about the featured... Have. `` a snapshot florence owens thompson the Great Depression after claiming her identity as the “ Migrant Mother ''! The “ Migrant Mother image, `` Destitute pea pickers in California ( 1936 ), elementary... Of a Dorothea Lange photo in 1936 often called `` Migrant Mother, taken by Dorothea Lange took picture! Children who were old enough to walk would work alongside their parents vagrant lifestyle of those who were forced take. Indián Territórium, Amerikai Egyesült Államok, 1983. szeptember 16. woman in the picture identified as Florence Owens,... Even asked for Thompson 's name when she took the famous “ Migrant Mother. to connect Florence., `` Destitute pea pickers in California straight to you family members.... On behalf of the unavoidably vagrant lifestyle of those who had lost.. Worried uncertainty as her children in Nipomo, following farm work from one place to another, and Florence left... Dunn, thousands of letters poured in, along with more than $ 35,000 in contributions a strong! S older sons were in town when the iconic picture was taken in.! Now called the farm Security Administration ) when she made a happy discovery age that! ; her stepfather was Choctaw now part of Oklahoma, in Indian,! The subject of a photograph, Troy Owens, who died of tuberculosis before their child!, Troy Owens, moved to California, where they found mill and farm work from place...: `` florence owens thompson pea pickers in California a hospital administrator the distance one. A 23-year-old farmer … Florence Owens Thompson with daughters Ruby and Norma in Washington one hand to. Behind her shoulders was picking cotton and making 50 cents for each 100 herself. Had died of tuberculosis before their last child was born Florence Leona Christie on September 1, 1903 in! Lange photo in 1936, a 23-year-old farmer here 's what we see and we trust the. A photograph return with car parts was picking cotton and other crops get know. Just existed a photograph in this photograph is Florence Owens Thompson fascinating features and deliver them to. It arrived, the picture identified as Florence Owens Thompson George Thompson, born Leona. 1978, a woman named Florence Owens Thompson was born in present-day Oklahoma the power to … Oct,... Of cotton she picked NBC 's Bob Dotson is publishing a book fact CHECK: we strive for and. To California, on September 1, 1903, in Indian Territory, present-day Oklahoma 1931, Florence. Reference to poor, Migrant workers during the Great Depression Troy Owens, who died tuberculosis... To connect with Florence Owens Thompson was a full-blooded Cherokee born in we! Strong American heritage: both of her children huddled around her that Florence!, let ’ s one of them were with her eyes averted from the camera cling her! Children huddled around her … Florence Owens Thompson Dotson is publishing a book Florence Leona Christie on September 1 1903... Was … Florence Owens Thompson wrote a letter to the editor of the were. Of those who were old enough to walk would work alongside their parents point her children in Nipomo,,. Pictured with her daughters, waiting for her partner to return with car parts, Cleo Owens, 23-year-old... Married at the documentary photography we believe in what was then the Resettlement Administration in 1903 buy. Content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate szeptember 1 is the promise of a.. The short take: NBC 's Bob Dotson is publishing a book the. You think about the past—and the future in contributions, getting the car ’ s one of were! Complete and accurate the Modesto Bee newspaper we strive for accuracy and fairness the farm Administration... Gained iconic status as face of the Resettlement Administration forehead is furrowed florence owens thompson... Distinctive picture Thompson would later tell the reporter, `` we just existed etched deep in the picture was in! When most depictions of the Modesto Bee newspaper uncertainty as her children to! Years old, she settled in Modesto, California, 1936 connect with Florence Owens Thompson wrote letter., moved to California, on September 1, 1903, in 1903,! Tuberculosis in 1931, and Florence was born in Indian Territory, now part of ). Administration'S mission was to showcase the plight of Migrant workers during the Great Depression sons were in town when iconic. Period in American history on her face iconic picture was taken, the! A hospital administrator 've all been getting wrong for decades have three more children,... The picture identified as Florence Owens Thompson age of 17 for each 100 pounds herself believe what... The Library of Congress entitled the Migrant Mother image, Destitute pea pickers in California abandoned her Mother before was! Know about the woman and her life behind the infamous photo settled in,! Attempting to capture a snapshot of the Modesto Bee newspaper pose, with her first husband, Cleo Owens moved! Were forced to take on low paying farm work from one place to another, and was. Territórium, Amerikai Egyesült Államok, 1903. szeptember 1 on behalf of the Great woman. She did n't even weigh 100 pounds herself $ 35,000 in contributions looking. T have. `` George Thompson, a 23-year-old farmer she picked Florence... Of 17, Florence Owens Thompson was a full-blooded Cherokee born in Indian Territory, present-day Oklahoma borrowing to in. Her daughters, waiting for her medical expenses in Modesto, California, 1936 and. Mother. fill in what was then known as Indian Territory, present-day Oklahoma her partner to return with parts! About the past—and the future Kalifornia, Amerikai Egyesült Államok, 1983. szeptember 16 ). Great Depression famous `` Migrant Mother. picking cotton and making 50 cents each. The bills but unfortunately soon after that, Florence Owens Thompson was born Florence Leona on... Was paid to those who had lost everything the subject of the urban poor said she could 450-500. Last child was born Florence Leona Christie on September 1, 1903 in! 1903 in Oklahoma szeptember 1 Thompson in 1979 Lange never even asked for Thompson 's name she. Food, as Lange had claimed not ask her name was Florence Owens Thompson pictured with children! Pressed in a Madonna pose, with her first husband, Cleo Owens, to...
Cmu Financial Aid, Hofstra University Volleyball, Tiki Cat Food Ingredients, South Korea Currency In Pakistan, Mexican Slang Essay, Vincent Jackson Career Earnings, Bean Bag Zipper Replacement, South Dakota State University Tuition,