Exodus, Pakistan, 1947
Vintage gelatin silver print
11 × 10 ½ in.
Titled and dated in pencil with MoMA stamp on verso
Deaccessioned from MoMA's collection
June 16, 2025
Margaret Bourke-White was one of the four original staff photographers for LIFE, and was instrumental in the magazine's photojournalistic achievements, documenting some of the most tumultuous and important chapters of the 20th century.
In August of 1947 Pakistan and India were granted sovereignty from England, setting off a turbulent period of decolonization called Partition. While figures like Mahatma Gandhi had campaigned for a unified India, leaders at the time chose to partition the country, creating a Hindu-dominated India and a Muslim Pakistan. Partition resulted in the largest migration in human history, as fifteen million people traveled vast distances to cross the newly created borders, while religious violence engulfed the region.
Margaret Bourke-White’s pictures are among the few definitive photographic documents of this period of immense turmoil, and were made at great risk to her personal safety, as the upheaval resulted in staggering bloodshed and lawlessness. Bourke-White’s low angle in this photograph elevates the image beyond direct reportage, resulting in an iconic image suited to both the significance and scale of this historic event, as well as the perilous conditions that these migrants endured.
