"Although Walker Evans (1903-1975) has long been admired as a seminal American artist, it is only now that his originality and complex nature can begin to be understood. This first full-length study of the photographer draws on newly accessible diaries, papers, and negatives from Evans's vast personal collection, now the Walker Evans Archive at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The six essays - filled with illuminating information about the photographer's self-education and intellectual development, his interactions with other artists, his own definition of his goals, and his working procedure, chronicled in detail - offer insights into Evans's artistry and a fresh look at every stage of his career." "In this catalogue of a major retrospective exhibition, plates made from vintage prints reproduce over 175 of Evans's finest photographs."--BOOK JACKET.