From mid 1935 to early 1937, Walker Evans worked for the historical unit of the Farm Security Administration to create a photographic survey of rural America during the Great Depression. Sent to Hale County, Alabama with James Agee in the summer of 1936, the duo detailed their stay with three impoverished white tenant families in text an photographs which were later published in the revolutionary book Let Us Now Praise Famous Men.
General Store Interior, Moundville, Alabama is fixed in time by the calendar that dominates the upper right of the frame. July 1936 is certainly a very distant past as we look at this image today, but there's a certain Things Organized Neatly contemporary appeal to the efficiently (not to mention abundantly) packed shelves of this General Store. Many a Brooklyn outpost these days seeks to recreate this sort of wholesome, Made-in-the-USA vibe and judging by the commentary spotted about this image across the interwebs, there are plenty of people who'd love to get their hands on some of the items on display.
It's easy to understand why as you hone in on the details. Classic kerosene lamps displayed with military precision. The O.K.-brand soap boxes presage the pop-art cool of the Brillo stacks which made Warhol a superstar several decades later. Everywhere the eye turns there's deftly executed typography that still has evidence of a human touch intact. Linger longer, and you'll notice disorder and decay encroaching upon this virtuous tableau. One flour bag leans askew. Just to the left, papers erupt from a drawer and cascade diagonally across the floor. The tower of cups are anything but straight. There's a story to be told in this photo about Moundville, Alabama; thanks to the deft talents of Evans, it unfolds with nary a word spoken.
+ Limited-edition, exclusive to 20x200
+ Museum quality: archival inks, 100% cotton rag paper unless noted
+ Handcrafted custom-framing is available
Our quoted dimensions are for the size of paper containing the images, not the printed image itself. We do not alter the aspect ratio, nor do we crop or resize the artists’ originals. All of our prints have a minimum border of .5 inches to allow for framing.
Medium:
Innova Fibraprint Warm Cotton Gloss
Edition Structure:
10"x8" | edition of 20
14"x11" | edition of 500
20"x16" | edition of 50
30"x24" | edition of 25
