Walker Evans was known for his collection of roadside architecture. In this photograph we see three gentlemen standing outside of a barbershop in Vicksburg, Mississippi. The barbershop is used to depict local street life. Evans believed the local barbershop was an expression of the African American community. Walker Evans saw areas like the barbershop as a meeting place where gossip and other talking among community members took place. Upon closer examination of the photograph the men can be seen waiting for their customers outside of the barbershop on a cool winter's day. My interpretation upon first glance at the image makes me believe that the employees of the barbershop are taking a hit on their business because of the great depression impacting people everywhere and is making life harder for businesses everywhere. In my opinion it was Evans' intent to make the audience feel the struggle of the business and businesses everywhere in the United States. The emptiness of the street indicates that the barbershop was not the only place taking damage from the fall out of the stock market crash. I looked at the photos taken by Walker Evans by my fellow group members and saw many photos similar to my own. Most of Walker Evans' photos are of other people or areas located on the street. The most common feature of all the photos is a sense of despair among people during the great depression as well as buildings being run down or closing. What I myself have taken away from examining Walker Evans is that while most people were dramatically impacted by the stock market crash. However, even though the future looked grim people carried on with their lives because the world never stops turning and showed determination in the face of one of the worst times in American history.
I agree with the comment about Evan's intent to make the audience feel the struggle of overall businesses. You can see the defeat in the body language of the three men standing and sitting outside of the barbershop. Their shoulders slouched, heads cocked sideways and arms crossed. Also, the point that you made about the lives moving on, even though it was the 'Great Depression' gives off a mood of determination. Even though their business is perishing, the three men are still trying to make money and succeed. One aspect of the picture that I noticed is the name of the barbershop, "Savoy". When I first read the name aloud, it sounded like 'save our' barbershop. This definitely isn't fact, just an observation of details can really mean something more.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with the idea of the middle class has to face a struggle and we clearly see the barbers standing outside the shop gossiping. A lot of Walker Evans pictures is taken outside on the street showing the struggle of everyday workers who barely had business which you can see in the image. Despair is a common theme that we can see in all the image taken by Walker Evan. When I first saw this picture that I saw same thing that you did it looks that there is business so the workers are outside waiting for customers to walk in and so that they can get some business to help them make a living.
ReplyDeleteDylan helps us here to think about the dual functions of places like barber shops. On the one hand, this location serves as a business that provides an important service to the community; on the other, it doubles as a social space where its patrons share stories and information. I like the interpretation that, though the business might be struggling as a result of the depression, it seems like the barbers are dedicated to keeping their business alive. Do you know if all three of the men are barbers?
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