Auto parts shop. Atlanta, Georgia
From mid 1935 to early 1937, Walker Evans worked for the historical unit of the Farm Security Administration to create a photographic survey of rural America during the Great Depression. While Evans traveled all over the U.S. during his time with the FSA, it is his work from Southern and rural America that stands out.
This image, made at Cherokee Auto Parts in Atlanta Georgia, shows again Evans’ penchant for hand-lettering and type. The sign above the shop seems based on the font Windsor, though it is different enough to indicate it was painted by hand. That human touch is part of what makes this particular image so charming, especially when viewed in contrast to the neon signs and standardized fonts of modern day. It is this image’s nostalgic appeal that inspired Alice Cooper’s Greatest Hits cover artwork, and its enduring power to attract that makes it an excellent addition to any wall.
