Accession Number
1990/2.54

Title
New York

Artist(s)
Walker Evans

Artist Nationality
American (North American)

Object Creation Date
circa 1934

Medium & Support
gelatin silver print on paper

Dimensions
7 15/16 in x 10 in (20.16 cm x 25.4 cm);18 1/16 in x 22 1/16 in x 3/8 in (45.88 cm x 56.04 cm x 0.95 cm);6 7/16 in x 8 1/4 in (16.35 cm x 20.96 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Harry H. Lunn, Jr., in Honor of the Centennial of The Michigan Daily

Label copy
As he often did, Evans here includes the context of the street, but devoid of inhabitants. There are slightly angled elements that create a subtle patterning to the otherwise flat brick walls and fenestration. The chair tipped against the entrance, the window standing open at the top center, the stairs and awning at lower left all suggest the presence of man, although the scene becomes almost like a stage set, awaiting the actors to take the stage. Evans’s images of New York reflect the subtle rhythms of urban life.
Carole McNamara, Assistant Director for Collections & Exhibitions
on the occasion of the exhibition New York Observed: The Mythology of the City
(July 13 – September 22, 2003)

Subject matter
This photograph of a building façade on a New York City street, depicts a scene devoid of inhabitants. Signs indicate that the building houses a hotel, restaurant, and liquor store. The camera captures details that evoke the unseen human presence: a chair tipped against the entrance on the first floor, at the right edge of the image, and the unequally open window panes on the upper floors that catch the sunlight, reflecting an opaquely brilliant white.

Physical Description
This photograph of a sidewalk in front of a store shows it devoid of inhabitants.

Primary Object Classification
Photograph

Collection Area
Photography

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.

Keywords
Urban life
buildings
buildings (structures)
city
hotels (public accommodations)
modern and contemporary art
portfolios
restaurants
steps (stair units)
storefronts
streets
window