Arthur Rothstein
His camera captured the Dust Bowl's despair, shaping how America saw its own hardship and the power of documentary truth.
1915–1985 (age 70)·American photojournalist·Birthday: July 17·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Arthur Rothstein was a pioneer with a camera, one of the first photographers hired by the Farm Security Administration during the Great Depression. His images did more than document; they defined an era. His 1936 photograph of a farmer and his sons walking through a dust storm in Cimarron County, Oklahoma, became an indelible icon of struggle and resilience. Rothstein believed photography was a tool for social change, and his work for the FSA, later for Look magazine, and as a director at Parade, consistently aimed to inform and move the public. He mastered the technical craft but never let it overshadow the human story, leaving a visual record that taught a nation to see the dignity and plight of its own people.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Arthur was born in 1915, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Arthur Was Born
The biggest hits of 1915
#1 Movie
The Birth of a Nation
Arthur's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1915Born
The Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat
President: Woodrow Wilson
1920Started school
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
1928Became a teenager
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1931Could drive
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1933Could vote
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1936Turned 21
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1945Turned 30
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1955Turned 40
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1965Turned 50
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1975Turned 60
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1985Turned 70
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
Key Achievements
- Created the iconic 'Fleeing a Dust Storm' photograph in Cimarron County, Oklahoma, in 1936.
- Was one of the first five photographers hired for the historic Farm Security Administration documentary project.
- Served as the director of photography for Look magazine for over two decades.
- Authored several influential books on photographic technique and the history of photography.
Did You Know?
He began his photography career while still a student at Columbia University.
A controversy arose when he was accused of staging a photo of a cow's skull in the South Dakota dust; he defended it as a legitimate demonstration of conditions.
He was a founding member of the American Society of Magazine Photographers.
Later in his career, he became a vocal advocate for photographers' rights and copyright protection.
“Photography is a language, and the photographer must be fluent in it.”
