Lyman Allyn Art Museum opens ‘Dorothea Lange: Life Work’ in New London

Dorothea Lange photos on exhibit at Lyman Allyn Art Museum in New London Connecticut — Dorothea Lange (American, 1895–1965), Migrant Mother, Nipomo, California,
1936, Gelatin silver print, 23 x 18 inches.

The Lyman Allyn Art Museum (625 Williams St, New London, CT 06320) has opened “Dorothea Lange: Life Work,” a major exhibition showcasing 50 photographs by pioneering documentary photographer Dorothea Lange.

The exhibition, which opened Saturday and runs through May 3, traces Lange’s influential career, from her early portrait studio days in San Francisco to her indelible images of the Great Depression and beyond.

Best known for her empathetic photographs of displaced families and migrant workers, Lange created some of the most enduring visual records of the 1930s. Her 1936 photograph Migrant Mother, Nipomo, California remains one of the most recognized images of the era, symbolizing both hardship and resilience.

In 1933, Lange began documenting breadlines and the visible toll of economic collapse in California. The circulation of those street photographs led to her work with the federal Resettlement Administration and later the Farm Security Administration, where she documented rural poverty and the struggles of farmworkers. Her images helped build public support for federal relief efforts under President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal.

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“Dorothea Lange: Life Work” also highlights lesser-known facets of her career, including photographs of her family life, artistic collaborations with photographer Ansel Adams, and projects from her travels in the 1940s, 1950s, and early 1960s.

All works in the exhibition are drawn from the private collection of Michael Mattis and Judith Hochberg and were organized by art2art Circulating Exhibitions.

Related programming includes a March 21 screening of the documentary Dorothea Lange: Grab a Hunk of Lightning, followed by a virtual conversation with Lange’s granddaughter, filmmaker Dyanna Taylor.

The exhibition is supported by an anonymous foundation and by the Connecticut State Legislature, administered by the Department of Economic and Community Development, Office of the Arts.

Founded in 1926, the Lyman Allyn Art Museum houses more than 20,000 objects spanning ancient to contemporary art and presents several rotating exhibitions each year. The museum is located at 625 Williams St. and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m.

Exhibit details

Dorothea Lange: Life Work,
Lyman Allyn Art Museum • 625 Williams St, New London, CT 06320
February 20 – March 7, 2026Dorothea Lange: Life Work,

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Lyman Allyn Art Museum opens ‘Dorothea Lange: Life Work’ in New London