1980
(American, b. 1933)
Chromogenic print
Paper: 20.3 x 25.4 cm (8 x 10 in.)
Gift of an anonymous donor 2018.1013
© Bruce Davidson/Magnum Photos
Davidson carried a whistle and knife while photographing in the New York subway; in the 1970s it was plagued by muggings.
Although he was inspired by Walker Evan’s covert shots of subway riders from the mid-1930s, Davidson wanted his subjects to be aware of his camera. He asked and received permission from transit authorities and the riders in his photographs. Like Evans, Davidson captures the claustrophobic environment of the subway car, a space that Davidson viewed as the dark and dangerous underworld of the city.
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