Had two sons with Maynard Dixon: Daniel (born in 1925) and John (born in 1930).
Dropped her middle name and took her mother's maiden name at 12 years of age after her father abandoned the family.
Awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1941 for excellence in photography which she gave up to record the internment of Japanese Americans after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
At seven years old contracted polio which left her with a weak right leg and permanent limp.