48
TracyCalder,Acting
TechniqueEditor
‘HousesandBillboards
inAtlanta’,1936,
byWalkerEvans
TheMetropolitan
Museumof Artonce
claimedthat‘[Walker]
Evanshadan
extraordinaryabilityto
seethepresentasif it werealready
thepast’,andI trulybelieveit.
Whetherhewasphotographingthe
livingquartersof tenantfarmersfor
theFarmSecurityAdministration,
travellersonthesubwayin NewYork
City,oradvertisingbillboardsin Atlanta
heseemedtoknowexactlywhatwas
important,andhowtorecordit in
sucha waythatit wouldbecomeartisticallyandhistoricallymeaningful.
I couldhavepickedprettymuch
anythingfromhisbackcatalogue,but
there’ssomethingaboutthisimage
from 1936 thatreallystrikesme.
CaroleLombard’sblackeyeis hardto
ignore,andonceyoutakein the
wooden-cladbuildingsbehindthis
billboardyoubegintoponderoverthe
livesof thosewholivewithinthem.
Thetelegraphwiresmirrorthelinesof
thekerbandroadperfectly,andthe
whiteskyis a fittingbackdroptothis
oddlybleakscene.Atfirstit appearsto
bea relativelysimplephotograph,but
in realityit requireda keeneyefor
composition,masteryof relatively
cumbersomeequipmentand,of
course,a uniqueabilityto‘seethe
presentasif it werealreadythepast.’
Puregenius.‘Evans seemed to know just what was important
and how to record it in such a way that it would
become artistically and historically meaningful’© WALKER EVANS / GETT Y IMAGES
PHOTOGRAPH BY ERIC TREACY © SSPL /NATIONAL RAILWAY MUSEUM VIA GETT Y IMAGES