Bindlestiff Collection

M. Dupin dans ses petits souliers, 19th century. Creator: Honore Daumier
M. Dupin dans ses petits souliers, 19th century. Mr. Dupin in his little shoes

Itinerant worker on U.S. 101 near San Luis Obispo, California, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
On U.S. 101 near San Luis Obispo, California. Itinerant worker. Not the old "Bindle-Stiff" type

One of the roads leading into Calipatria, Imperial County, California, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
One of the roads leading into Calipatria, Imperial County, California

More than twenty-five years a bindle-stiff... Napa Valley, California, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange
More than twenty-five years a bindle-stiff. Walks from the mines to the lumber camps to the farms. The type that formed the backbone of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)

More than twenty-five years a bindle-stiff... Napa Valley, California, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Napa Valley, California. More than twenty-five years a bindle-stiff. Walks from the mines to the lumber camps to the farms

More than twenty-five years a bindle-stiff... Napa Valley, California, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Napa Valley, California. More than twenty-five years a bindle-stiff. Walks from the mines to the lumber camps to the farms

More than twenty-five years a bindle-stiff... Napa Valley, California, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Napa Valley, California. More than twenty-five years a bindle-stiff. Walks from the mines to the lumber camps to the farms

More than twenty-five years a bindle-stiff... Napa Valley, California, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Napa Valley, California. More than twenty-five years a bindle-stiff. Walks from the mines to the lumber camps to the farms

More than twenty-five years a bindle-stiff... Napa Valley, California, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Napa Valley, California. More than twenty-five years a bindle-stiff. Walks from the mines to the lumber camps to the farms

More than twenty-five years a bindle-stiff... Napa Valley, California, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Napa Valley, California. More than twenty-five years a bindle-stiff. Walks from the mines to the lumber camps to the farms

More than twenty-five years a bindle-stiff... Napa Valley, California, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Napa Valley, California. More than twenty-five years a bindle-stiff. Walks from the mines to the lumber camps to the farms

Bindle stiffs in town three weeks before opening of Klamath... Tule Lake, Siskiyou County, CA
Bindle stiffs in town three weeks before opening of Klamath Basin potato harvest. California, Siskiyou County, Tule Lake

One of the roads leading into Calipatria, Imperial County, California, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
One of the roads leading into Calipatria, Imperial County, California

Migrant man shaving by roadside, on U. S. 99 between Bakersfield and the Ridge, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
On U.S. 99 between Bakersfield and the Ridge, en route to San Diego. Migrant man shaving by roadside

Bindles on shady side of Pastime Cafe, Tulelake, Siskiyou County, California, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Bindles on shady side of Pastime Cafe. California, Siskiyou County, Tulelake

Bindle stiff, used to be logger, Side of Pastime Cafe, Tulelake, Siskiyou County, California, 1939
Bindle stiff, used to be logger. Side of Pastime Cafe. Idle three weeks before opening of the Klamath Basin potato harvest. California, Siskiyou County, Tulelake

Car on siding across tracks from pea packing plant, Calipatria, Imperial Valley, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Car on siding across tracks from pea packing plant. Twenty-five year old itinerant, originally from Oregon. " On the road eight years, all over the country, every state in the union

Looking east down the railroad track, near Calipatria, California, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Looking east down the railroad track, near Calipatria, California. Single men, itinerants with " bindles" waiting for the freight

On U. S. 99 between Bakersfield and the Ridge, en route to San Diego, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
On U.S. 99 between Bakersfield and the Ridge, en route to San Diego. Migrant man shaving by roadside

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In the summer of 1939, a wave of uncertainty swept through the towns of Tule Lake and Calipatria in Siskiyou County and Imperial County, California. The arrival of bindle stiffs marked their presence three weeks before the opening of Klamath, leaving an indelible mark on these communities. Dorothea Lange's lens captured the essence of this transient lifestyle as she documented their struggles and resilience. Along one road leading into Calipatria, she immortalized a moment in time - a migrant man shaving by the roadside on U. S. 99 between Bakersfield and the Ridge. His weathered face told stories untold, etched with determination to survive against all odds. The Pastime Cafe became a sanctuary for these nomads seeking solace from their arduous journeys. On its shady side in Tulelake, Siskiyou County, Lange's photographs revealed bindles strewn about like remnants of dreams left behind. Amongst them stood a former logger turned bindle stiff - his rugged exterior mirroring his battle-worn spirit. As we delve deeper into Lange's collection, we encounter scenes that depict both despair and hope intertwined within this transient existence. A car parked across tracks from a pea packing plant in Calipatria serves as a stark reminder that even amidst adversity, life must go on. Looking east down the railroad track near Calipatria unveils an endless path stretching towards unknown destinations - symbolic of boundless possibilities awaiting those who dare to dream beyond their circumstances. On U. S. 99 between Bakersfield and San Diego lies another chapter in this tale: bindle stiffs en route to new beginnings or perhaps chasing elusive opportunities that lie just over the horizon. Through Dorothea Lange's lens, we witness not only moments frozen in time but also glimpses into lives shaped by hardship yet resiliently pushing forward.