Bridgeport, Connecticut 1941

Walker Evans made this photograph, Bridgeport, Connecticut, using gelatin silver. It’s a small picture, just bigger than a postcard. I imagine Evans, with his camera, becoming part of the background, almost invisible. It's as if he is trying not to interfere, but to capture something essential about these women and child. The subjects all seem to be looking at different things, or lost in their own thoughts. The mother with the child, her expression tired but firm, perhaps hoping for a better future, and the child is wrapped up in what looks like a very loved blanket. The woman in the middle almost looks regal and she's framed by the other two figures. The youngest one, with her clutch bag, glances upwards and seems slightly sad. The grey tones create a sense of solemnity, but maybe also resilience. Thinking about Evans' larger practice, this photograph feels like part of a larger documentary project, one where he seeks to capture a specific cultural moment. Ultimately, this picture asks us to consider our shared humanity, even in the face of hardship.