Review of Signs - Walker Evans J Paul Getty Publications

pathfinderpathfinder Super Moderators Posts: 14,708 moderator
edited February 28, 2007 in Technique
I saw this book on Amazon and had to have it, as I am a Walker Evans fan. If you collect images of signs as I do, I suspect this book will appeal to you also.

"Signs - Walker Evans" is a collection of many of his B&W images of signs collected in the rural South, as well as in the subway system of New York city. Evans shot signs, common folks, architecture, theatre marquees, movie posters, and store fronts. Several of his images from Cuba are included in the book also.

He was born into a well to do family in Saint Louis, Missouri in 1903. He graduated from Phillips Academy in Andover and studied one year at Williams College. He then studied in Paris for a year. He returned to the US and took up photography in 1930s. He went on to become a successful photographer for the Farm Service Administration and publishers in New York city. He culminated his career by joining the faculty at the Yale School of Art and Architecture.

Evans was fascinated with signs, collecting them to display along with his photographs of signs in his gallery exhibitions. He shot the common man, including share croppers in Hale County Alabama in the 1930s.

The book is 8 x 9 inches and 70 pages long with many full page images of lovely B&W. There are no colored images in the book.

It is published by the J Paul Getty Museum. There is a running commentary by Andrei Codrescu about modernism and surrealism. It can be found on Amazon.com
Walker Evans images need no commentary, and can stand on their own. An excellent book for those who are interested in good Black and White photography.
Pathfinder - www.pathfinder.smugmug.com

Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin

Comments

  • SystemSystem Registered Users Posts: 8,186 moderator
    edited January 9, 2007
    ordered-

    thanks for mentioning it-
  • howbouchahowboucha Registered Users Posts: 68 Big grins
    edited January 13, 2007
    Howboucha Pathfinder!
    Hey, My First Post on DGrin!!!
    Also, my first Amazon order.

    Not to hijack the thread, but my Merritt Island and other FL shots from last week are up on my howboucha.smugmug acct.

    I HATE DIAL UP!

    B.K.
    I like to take pictures :)

    My SmugMug site: http://www.purplepug.com
    My V-Strom Site: http://www.stromtrooper.com
  • SystemSystem Registered Users Posts: 8,186 moderator
    edited January 13, 2007
    howboucha wrote:
    Howboucha Pathfinder!
    Hey, My First Post on DGrin!!!
    Also, my first Amazon order.

    Not to hijack the thread, but my Merritt Island and other FL shots from last week are up on my howboucha.smugmug acct.

    I HATE DIAL UP!

    B.K.

    yeah!-

    kow karma-

    I like that!-

    nice to see you here, bk-
  • jdryan3jdryan3 Registered Users Posts: 1,353 Major grins
    edited January 18, 2007
    pathfinder wrote:
    I saw this book on Amazon and had to have it, as I am a Walker Evans fan. If you collect images of signs as I do, I suspect this book will appeal to you also.

    "Signs - Walker Evans" is a collection of many of his B&W images of signs collected in the rural South, as well as in the subway system of New York city. Evans shot signs, common folks, architecture, theatre marquees, movie posters, and store fronts. Several of his images from Cuba are included in the book also.

    Pathfinder -
    I got this from my wife for Christmas - great book
    "Don't ask me what I think of you, I might not give the answer that you want me to. Oh well."
    -Fleetwood Mac
  • pathfinderpathfinder Super Moderators Posts: 14,708 moderator
    edited February 25, 2007
    I'm glad you liked it.

    There is another Walker Evans book from Getty Trust Publications entitiled "Walker Evans - Florida"

    This is series of shots Evans was hired to shoot of Florida in 1941.

    0892365668.01._SS500_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg
    Pathfinder - www.pathfinder.smugmug.com

    Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
  • ian408ian408 Administrators Posts: 21,938 moderator
    edited February 25, 2007
    Sweet! Nice review. I'll have to take a look at it.
    Moderator Journeys/Sports/Big Picture :: Need some help with dgrin?
  • ziggy53ziggy53 Super Moderators Posts: 24,129 moderator
    edited February 28, 2007
    A lot of the greats are showcased here:

    http://www.masters-of-photography.com/index.html

    Along with Walker Evans, check out Dorothea Lange of the same era.
    ziggy53
    Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
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