Floyd Burroughs - Walker Evans

A stark, objective portrait of Alabama tenant farmer Floyd Burroughs, captured by Walker Evans in 1936 during the Great Depression.

This portrait of Floyd Burroughs is a defining image from the 1936 collaboration between photographer Walker Evans and writer James Agee. Commissioned by Fortune magazine, the project documented the lives of three tenant farming families in Hale County, Alabama, during the Great Depression. The resulting work was eventually published as the book Let Us Now Praise Famous Men in 1941. Evans approached his subjects with a detached, objective gaze. He avoided the sentimental or overly dramatic framing common in much of the social documentary work of the era. In this image, Burroughs sits against the rough wooden wall of his home. The lighting is natural and direct, revealing the texture of his skin, the wear on his clothing, and the intensity of his expression. The composition is tight, focusing the viewer entirely on the subject's face and posture. There is no artifice here, only a clear record of a man living through extreme economic hardship. Evans utilised a large-format camera, which allowed for the exceptional clarity and detail seen in this print. The tonal range of the gelatin silver process captures the contrast between the dark interior of the cabin and the light hitting Burroughs' face. By presenting his subjects with such precision, Evans created a record that remains a primary source for understanding the American rural experience in the 1930s. This print offers a direct connection to a specific moment in history, stripped of editorial commentary or visual embellishment. It is a study of human presence and the physical reality of a life defined by labour and poverty.