Walker Evans: Photographer of America [Hardcover]

Thomas Nau (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

Determined to "capture life has he saw it," Walker Evans (1903-1975) became one of the great photographers of the twentieth century, shooting in the New York City subways as well as the American heartland. His subjects included posters, billboards, and the Brooklyn Bridge--but he is best known for the stirring photographs he took of farmers during the Great Depression. This handsome volume offers a clearly written account of the legendary photographer's life and a verbal and visual portrait of the turbulent times in which he lived, illustrated with over 80 sumptuous duotone reproductions of his work.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5–9—This is a well-written and insightful look at the professional and personal life of a 20th-century photographer. Although Evans originally wanted to be a writer, he had photos printed in small magazines and in some galleries while still in his 20s. Nau recounts his friendships with Hart Crane and James Agee, among others, which led to other assignments. Eventually, Evans went to work for Fortune magazine where he spent 20 years. The America that he documented was often that of ordinary people and disappearing architecture. Rich in details and unstaged, his works offer candid glimpses of our society, from Coney Island in the 1920s to Southern tenant farmers in the 1930s, and, later, to small towns and signs in the '70s. Excellent examples of the various periods appear throughout. The text succeeds in portraying his determination to photograph what mattered to him rather than what conventional wisdom might have dictated. Although the focus is on his professional life, mention is made of his marriages and bouts with alcoholism. This slim volume provides a thoughtful depiction of a complex man whose artistry with a camera immortalized many aspects of American society.—Carol Schene, formerly at Taunton Public Schools, MA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Although there are biographies about Depression-era photographers, such as Elizabeth Partridge's I^ Restless Spirit: The Life and Work of Dorothea Lange (1998) and George Sullivan's I^ Berenice Abbott (2006), few books about Walker Evans exist for the YA audience. Nau fills this gap, amplifying information about Evans' life and philosophy with more than 50 richly reproduced photos. A college dropout, Evans embraced photography as a means of elevating the everyday stuff of life to the realm of art, whether in black-and-white images of subway riders and suffering sharecroppers or the eclectic color Polaroids that comprised his later work. Nau's brisk, expository treatment lacks the copious anecdotes about personal struggles and technical achievements that enliven the best artists' biographies. But shutterbugs, including those above and below the suggested age range, will find inspiration in Evans' uncompromising images--particularly the stark, quiet scenes from the seminal I^ Let Us Now Praise Famous Men (1941), created with James Agee--and may wish to move on to works suggested in Nau's well-rounded bibliography. A time line and source notes are appended. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: Roaring Brook Press; First Edition edition (April 3, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159643225X
• ISBN-13: 978-1596432253
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 9.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,075,939 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars walker evans photos of the real america, January 25, 2012

By 

mozaik - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Walker Evans: Photographer of America (Hardcover)

this collection of photos from the "other America" has some of the most real photos I have seen. If you enjoy seeing people being themselves and coping with the business of living on very little and really finding an "American Dream" that would be considered sub poverty to us now then check out this book. Like Dorothea Lange, Evans goes away from the mainstream to find America, and he shows it to us. A real necessity for any love of US culture or history.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Walker Evans, January 28, 2008

By 

audrey - See all my reviews

This review is from: Walker Evans: Photographer of America (Hardcover)

WALKER EVANS: PHOTOGRAPHER OF AMERICA by Thomas Nau

In his book, WALKER EVANS: PHOTOGRAPHER OF AMERICA, Thomas Nau tells the story of Walker Evans' fascinating life in a manner both succinct and thorough while captivating his reader with well placed examples of Evans' photographs. The book is organized efficiently and beautifully with Evans' most famous work paired with each chapter. The chapters are arranged both chronologically and geographically and give the reader a clear picture of Evans' life, career, and the philosophy that was instrumental in both. This is an excellent book for anybody who is interested in American art and photography and would like to learn more about this innovative man's role in changing both fields.