Subway Portrait 1938 - 1941

This black and white photograph, by Walker Evans, captures two women riding the New York City subway. Evans began this series of surreptitious subway portraits in the late 1930s. These images give us a glimpse into the lives of everyday New Yorkers during a period marked by economic hardship and social change. The women, likely from working-class backgrounds, wear hats and coats, their faces etched with the weariness of daily life. Evans's focus on their faces invites us to contemplate their experiences. What were their hopes, dreams, and struggles? How did their gender and class shape their existence? The photograph serves as a poignant reminder of the shared humanity found in the most ordinary of settings. Evans said he was interested in "what people looked like, what they wore, and what was around them" in order to capture a sense of the present moment. The act of commuting, of moving through public space, becomes a collective experience that reflects the complex social fabric of the city.