[Four 35mm Film Frames: Subway Passengers, New York City: Man in Derby, Subway Car, Man in Cap and Scarf]
Between 1938 and 1941 Evans produced a remarkable series of portraits in the New York City subways. With a 35mm Contax camera strapped to his chest, its lens peeking out between two buttons of his winter coat, Evans was able to photograph his fellow passengers surreptitiously and at close range. Although the setting was public, he found that his subjects, unposed and lost in their thoughts, displayed a constantly shifting medley of moods and expressions-by turns curious, bored, amused, despondent, dreamy, and dyspeptic. "The guard is down and the mask is off," he remarked. "Even more than in lone bedrooms (where there are mirrors), people's faces are in naked repose down in the subway."
Artwork Details
- Title: [Four 35mm Film Frames: Subway Passengers, New York City: Man in Derby, Subway Car, Man in Cap and Scarf]
- Artist: Walker Evans (American, St. Louis, Missouri 1903–1975 New Haven, Connecticut)
- Date: January 13–21, 1941
- Medium: Film negative
- Dimensions: 35mm
- Classification: Negatives
- Credit Line: Walker Evans Archive, 1994
- Object Number: 1994.253.590
- Rights and Reproduction: © Walker Evans Archive, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Curatorial Department: Photographs
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Walker Evans
January 13–21, 1941
Walker Evans
1945
Walker Evans
1928–29
Walker Evans
1928–29
Walker Evans
1943
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.