What do you think?
Rate this book
An American Exodus: A Record of Human Erosion
First published in 1939, An American Exodus is one of the masterpieces of the documentary genre. Produced by incomparable documentary photographer Dorothea Lange with text by her husband, Paul Taylor, An American Exodus was taken in the early 1930s while the couple were working for the Farm Security Administration (FSA) The book documents the rural poverty of the depression-era exodus that brought over 300,000 migrants to California in search of farm work, a westward mass migration driven by economic deprivation as opposed to the Manifest Destiny of 19th century pioneers. This facsimile edition of the original volume reintroduces this sought-after work of artÛa pioneering book that was among the first to combine photographs with oral testimonyÛto a contemporary audience, providing an insight into the struggles of the Depression as well as offering a profound and timeless look at the human condition.
196 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1939
384 people want to read
About the author
Dorothea Lange
61 books58 followersDorothea Lange was an influential American documentary photographer and photojournalist, best known for her Depression-era work for the Farm Security Administration (FSA). Lange's photographs humanized the tragic consequences of the Great Depression and profoundly influenced the development of documentary photography.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 15, 2018
I came upon an American Masters segment on PBS last week, about Dorothea Lange. Her connection to San Francisco initially pulled me in, and after a few minutes I was hooked. She is an amazing photographer. I was able to locate the original version of this book (copyright 1939) through my library (it was the only one available, in hardcover, and smaller than I thought it would be :-) She and Paul Taylor collaborated together to produce a truly wonderful tale of our country. The forward to the book is written by them--she did the photography, he was the social scientist who wrote most of the copy. The most wonderful part of the book is the accompanying quotes from the people in the photos that bring to life what was going on in their lives. Whether they were being kicked out of their land for government expansion, from Nature, or from the Great Depression, the stories told are gripping. If you can find the documentary on your local PBS station or online, watch it. And then find the book if you can. I usually say read the book first, but Lange's personal background in the show will truly make the book come to life. Enjoy.
August 9, 2021
Note: I’m reading the 1969 edition, published in conjunction with the Oakland Museum in Oakland, CA. I can’t find this edition on here and there is no ISBN so I can’t even create it easily. But let this record show, if there is additional text in the 1975 edition, I am not reading that one. Henry Mayer has nothing to do with the edition I’m reading.
March 8, 2012
Having recently been reading about the American Dust Bowl and the events surrounding it, I had to see this book. Expensive to buy but available in libraries. Lange and Taylor argue the case that a great many Americans needed help to survive the terrible effects of drought, heat, and mistaken farming methods (encouraged by the government). Roosevelt was certainly trying hard and had some success, though he had to overcome the notion that these starving people "brought it on themselves."
The main point of the book is the photographs, and they are spectacular. Lange manages to tell whole stories in single, poignant images. The faces and emaciated bodies of the children are not easy to stare at - it seems like they are staring back.
The main point of the book is the photographs, and they are spectacular. Lange manages to tell whole stories in single, poignant images. The faces and emaciated bodies of the children are not easy to stare at - it seems like they are staring back.
May 10, 2014
this was actually a Yale University Press hardcover printed for the Oakland Museum in 1969; some photos were familiar yet no less moving.. Text from Paul Schuster Taylor was a bit frustrating.. sense of people talking and no one listening.. worth a look-see for those interested in Dorothea Lange, or Depression era historians or those that would like to be.. or just anyone willing to really look.
February 18, 2015
Great book, the photos by Lange are amazing, some of her best. The quotes she used as captions are taken from the men and women she photographed. This is a wonderful art book, and also social and economic history of the US. It is also very hard to find a copy, and I luck up and got the second edition, published by The Oakland Museum that has added photos. Worth the hunt and the read.
December 16, 2014
This more of a historical document than a piece of art. Lange really personalizes the struggles during three different migrations. I'm thankful that Farm Security Admin was able to fund this work.
June 14, 2025
I have just finished "An American Exodus: A Record of Human Erosion, with photography by Dorothea Lange, and commentary by Paul Schuster Taylor. Until recently, I had known that the Dust Bowl, the Depression, the migration into California where people were horribly treated existed, but I didn't know the extent of it until I started reading some other books, particularly the historical fiction book by Kristin Hannah, "The Four Winds". Ms. Hannah has sections on her website "for further reading" and I found this book there. Thankfully it was available from my local library.
You may or may not recall the name of Dorothea Lange; she was a photographer that traveled around documenting the conditions of the era. Her most famous photograph is the one of a migrant woman with two children, but it was not in this book. Paul Taylor wrote the descriptions and commentary. Much of the commentary is exactly what the people in the photographs had said to Ms. Lange.
This book was published in 1939, while all of these events were not only fresh and raw, but were still in progress. In fact, at the end of the book, the authors state they don’t know what can be done about the problems, although they had some sensible ideas. The publication date made this book very pointed and helped me to see exactly how the people in this time were living and reacting.
If you read this book, you MUST read it with a sense of history. The authors do not show any bigotry or racism, but there are descriptive words in this book that were in common use in those days with no malice that would be considered malicious today. They shock our “modern sensibilities” but from an historical perspective are not how they would be received today.
Be prepared…no matter how poor you are in today’s society, you will feel wealthy beyond measure in comparison to three-quarters of the people in 1939. This also made me wonder…just HOW did the United States come out of these conditions? I might have to read some more books!
A solid five stars for a book that was NOT a fun read, but an important one.
You may or may not recall the name of Dorothea Lange; she was a photographer that traveled around documenting the conditions of the era. Her most famous photograph is the one of a migrant woman with two children, but it was not in this book. Paul Taylor wrote the descriptions and commentary. Much of the commentary is exactly what the people in the photographs had said to Ms. Lange.
This book was published in 1939, while all of these events were not only fresh and raw, but were still in progress. In fact, at the end of the book, the authors state they don’t know what can be done about the problems, although they had some sensible ideas. The publication date made this book very pointed and helped me to see exactly how the people in this time were living and reacting.
If you read this book, you MUST read it with a sense of history. The authors do not show any bigotry or racism, but there are descriptive words in this book that were in common use in those days with no malice that would be considered malicious today. They shock our “modern sensibilities” but from an historical perspective are not how they would be received today.
Be prepared…no matter how poor you are in today’s society, you will feel wealthy beyond measure in comparison to three-quarters of the people in 1939. This also made me wonder…just HOW did the United States come out of these conditions? I might have to read some more books!
A solid five stars for a book that was NOT a fun read, but an important one.
October 9, 2018
This book is a fascinating primary document, a quick read, and a wealth of really interesting photography. Dorthea Lange (famous for her photo "A Migrant Mother," among many, many others) and her husband Paul Taylor traveled from the American south to California in the depth of the Great Depression. They follow the mass migration that took place as the sharecropping system gave way to greater mechanization, forcing tenant farmers to look elsewhere for work. They document the farmers who moved west to Texas and Oklahoma on the Homestead Act. They record the lives of those trying to wait out the Dust Bowl and the lives left behind by those who fled. They show the life people found in California, when they had moved as far west as possible. They document a hard life of Americans in the early 20th century, and raise questions that still seem relevant today. What balance should be struck between industry and livelihood? Innovation and tradition and dignified work? How does a society respond to a crisis? How do its people?
October 22, 2019
Beautiful, haunting photography of a time that seems so unreachably far removed but was less than 100 years ago. This collection, like all of Dorothea Lange's work, is so gorgeously stark and raw.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews