Walker Evans – Great Depression Photographer – Legends of America
Walker Evans, a name synonymous with the stark realities of the Great Depression, stands as one of America’s most influential photographers. His unflinching gaze captured the lives of ordinary people struggling through extraordinary times, leaving behind a legacy of powerful and poignant imagery. Evans wasn’t merely a recorder of events; he was a visual storyteller, crafting narratives that resonated with honesty and authenticity. He famously declared his aspiration to create "literate, authoritative, transcendent pictures," a testament to his commitment to elevating photography to the realm of art and social commentary.
Early Life and Influences
Born on November 3, 1903, in St. Louis, Missouri, Walker Evans enjoyed a privileged upbringing that belied the subjects he would later immortalize. His family’s affluence allowed him to experience life in various cities, including Toledo, Chicago, and New York City, exposing him to diverse environments and perspectives. He attended Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, graduating in 1922, and briefly pursued French literature at Williams College before abandoning his studies.
A pivotal year spent in Paris in 1926 ignited Evans’s artistic sensibilities. Immersed in the city’s vibrant cultural scene, he absorbed the works of literary giants and visual artists, shaping his understanding of art as a tool for expression and social critique. Upon returning to New York, he briefly entered the world of finance, working at a Wall Street stockbroker firm from 1927 to 1929. However, the allure of photography proved too strong to resist.
The Dawn of a Photographic Vision
In 1928, Evans embarked on his photographic journey, a path that would lead him to document the soul of a nation in crisis. Early recognition came in 1930 when three of his photographs were published in a poetry book, marking his entry into the world of artistic publication. The following year, he received a commission to photograph Victorian homes in Boston, honing his skills in architectural documentation and composition. Another commission in 1933 took him to Cuba, where he captured the island’s vibrant street life and decaying colonial architecture, foreshadowing his later work documenting social and economic disparities.
Documenting the Great Depression: The Farm Security Administration Years
The year 1935 marked a turning point in Evans’s career as he began working for the Resettlement Administration, later known as the Farm Security Administration (FSA). This government agency aimed to alleviate rural poverty during the Great Depression, and Evans’s role was to document the lives of struggling farmers and sharecroppers. This assignment thrust him into the heart of the American South, where he captured the raw realities of poverty, resilience, and human dignity.
Evans’s photographs from this period are characterized by their stark realism and unadorned aesthetic. He employed a large-format camera, meticulously composing each shot to convey a sense of clarity and objectivity. His subjects, often posed against the backdrop of their dilapidated homes and barren landscapes, exude a quiet strength and stoicism in the face of adversity.
"Let Us Now Praise Famous Men": A Collaboration of Words and Images
In 1936, while still working for the FSA, Evans collaborated with writer James Agee on a project for Fortune magazine. They were tasked with documenting the lives of three white tenant families in rural Alabama. However, the project evolved into something far more profound than a simple magazine article. The result was Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, a groundbreaking book that combined Evans’s photographs with Agee’s lyrical prose to create a powerful and deeply moving portrait of rural poverty.
Let Us Now Praise Famous Men challenged conventional documentary practices, blurring the lines between journalism, art, and social commentary. The book’s unconventional structure and unflinching portrayal of poverty sparked controversy upon its publication, but it has since become recognized as a masterpiece of American literature and photography. Evans’s photographs in the book are particularly striking, capturing the intimate details of daily life and the emotional toll of poverty on the families he documented.
Beyond the FSA: A Legacy of Photographic Excellence
Evans continued to work for the Farm Security Administration until 1938, amassing a vast archive of images that would become iconic representations of the Great Depression. His work transcended mere documentation; it became a powerful testament to the human spirit in the face of adversity.
In 1938, the Museum of Modern Art in New York City held an exhibition of Evans’s photographs, marking the first time the museum had devoted a solo exhibition to a photographer. This recognition solidified Evans’s place in the art world and paved the way for his continued success.
Evans went on to work as a staff writer at Time magazine in 1945 and later as an editor at Fortune magazine, a position he held until 1965. In 1965, he began teaching photography at Yale University School of Art, where he inspired a new generation of photographers.
A Lasting Impact
Walker Evans died on April 10, 1975, at his home in Old Lyme, Connecticut, leaving behind a legacy of photographic excellence. His work continues to inspire and influence photographers, artists, and social commentators today. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City houses a significant portion of his work, while the Library of Congress holds approximately 1,000 negatives from his time with the government.
Evans’s photographs are more than just historical documents; they are works of art that speak to the universal human experience. His unflinching gaze, meticulous composition, and unwavering commitment to truth have made him one of the most important photographers of the 20th century. He showed the world the reality of the Great Depression, not through statistics or political rhetoric, but through the faces and lives of the people who lived through it. His work remains a powerful reminder of the importance of empathy, social justice, and the enduring power of the human spirit.