Hansel Mieth and Otto Hagel Collection November 1, 2009

Emigrating from Germany to the United States in 1928, photojournalists Hansel Mieth and Otto Hagel spent their early years in California. During the dark times of the Depression, they traveled throughout the country as transient farm-workers, all the while recording the daily struggles of itinerant laborers and their families. Hansel eventually worked for 'Life Magazine' while Otto freelanced for 'Life,' 'Time' and others. In 1941, the couple relocated to a farm in Santa Rosa where they continued their celebrated work depicting the harsh realities of unemployment, migrant life and poverty.