Houses in Negro Quarter of Tupelo 1936

Walker Evans made this black and white photograph, "Houses in Negro Quarter of Tupelo," using a large format camera. The image offers an unvarnished view into the segregated South. Evans was working during the Great Depression, a period when documentary photography gained prominence as a tool for social change. He was employed by the Farm Security Administration, documenting the lives of impoverished communities. Here, the stark simplicity of the houses speaks volumes about the economic and racial inequalities of the era. Evans's work is often discussed in terms of objectivity, but the very act of selecting what to photograph is subjective. What does it mean to look at these homes, knowing they are situated in a "Negro Quarter?" Consider how race and class intersect, shaping the lives and living conditions of the residents. The photograph invites us to reflect on the legacy of segregation and its lasting impact on American society. It challenges us to consider whose stories are told and how they are framed. It is an image filled with both history and emotion.