22 Amazing Photos Of Badass Women During The Great Depression

Mick Jacobs
Updated July 3, 2024 72.1K views 22 items

Some of the most famous images of all time come from Dorothea Lange's photo series depicting women during the Great Depression. Using her camera, Lange captured the uncertainty and difficulty that every citizen felt, but which impacted women much more dramatically. Women during the Great Depression not only faced economic hardships, but also sexism, which relegated many of them to the roles of cooks and housewives. Even still, badass women of the Great Depression eked out a living for both themselves and their families, making admirable accomplishments that deserve to be recognized by history.

Pictures that reveal what life was like for women during the Great Depression show their resilience and resourcefulness, qualities that were instrumental in pulling the world out of its economic recession; and these are the same women who were responsible for the economic boom in the 1940s. In addition to highlighting their contributions to the workforce, Great Depression-era photos also reveal women's commitment to their rights as workers, evidenced by their attendance at workers' meetings and gatherings.


  • A Migrant Girl Carries A Box Of Cranberries In Burlington County, NJ, 1938
    • Photo:
      • CORBIS
      • Getty Images
  • Lottie Drying Her Hair In Columbia, MS, 1939
    • Photo:
  • A Farm Woman Helps Her Neighbors Plant Tobacco In Durham, NC, 1940
    • Photo:
      • CORBIS
      • Getty Images
  • A Young Girl Holding Her Rifle And The Squirrels She Shot In Oklahoma, 1930s
  • A Woman Takes Part In A Revival Meeting In A Garage, Dos Palos, CA, 1938
    • Photo:
      • CORBIS
      • Getty Images
  • Women Posing With Alligators At A Gator Farm, 1930s
    • Photo: