This picture is actually quite difficult for me to look at beca
use it is extremely obvious how this mother just wants the best for her baby, but is solely relying on artificial means to make him well. This photograph was taken by Dorothea Lange and is entitled: Wife and sick child of tubercular itinerant, stranded in New Mexico. August 1936.
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA-OWI Collection, [reproduction number, LC-USF34-009747-E DLC]
© 2009 Mothering Magazine
That is so sad! 1936… right smack in the middle of the Dust Bowl, no refrigeration, no regulation. Poor mama and baby.
This is so sad. What a shame. Thanks for posting the pictures and showing how breastfeeding is normal.
Shine ON!!
Thank you both for leaving a comment. I appreciate everyone who takes the time to read this blog.
So very sad! To think this family probably spent a good portion of their income during the depression to buy fake milk…maybe she couldn’t nurse but I wonder if maybe she was just told to go to canned milk like my Grandmother and she listened to the doctors.
I love your blog. I love history like this and especially to see woman nursing! This is quite sad to me as well..this picture. Woman were only doing what their doctors and media were brainwashing them with. How sad.
Thank you so much for doing the research and spending time to bring these old pictures to the present day. What a sad picture. The baby is even positioned facing away from the mom, lacking the sweet, close embrace nursing brings. Makes me wonder what people will be saying 80 years from now when they look back on all the formula fed babies of today. I wish more people breastfed….hopefully blogs like yours will help!