Saratoga Spings, New York, 1931 Possibly 1931 - 1974

Walker Evans made this gelatin silver print, Saratoga Springs, New York, in 1931. It depicts a long line of parked cars stretching down a wet street framed by bare trees. The photograph was made in the depths of the Great Depression. Saratoga Springs, a resort town, depended on tourism, and the Depression hit it hard. Here, the rows of parked cars suggest wealth and leisure, but the bare trees and wet streets evoke a sense of desolation and economic hardship. Evans was known for his documentary style, and his photographs often captured the social and economic realities of the time. He made work for the Farm Security Administration, documenting the effects of the Depression on rural America. This image, while not explicitly political, speaks to the social conditions of the time. By studying newspapers, census data, and other primary sources, we can gain a deeper understanding of the context in which this photograph was made. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.