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Eudora Welty: Photographs

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The radiant world of Eudora Welty's art is charged by a poignant and familiar beauty, and here in a stunning book of her photographs is a dazzling record of this writer's unique and special vision. It is unusual, remarkable, for a major writer also to be an accomplished photographer. Eudora Welty is one of the very few whose great talent has been expressed in both photographs and fiction. This book, Eudora Welty: Photographs, brings together in one volume about 250 representative photographs from the few thousand that she took during the 1930s, '40s, and '50s. Although her camera's view finder compresses much, like the frame in which she conceives her fiction, it finds elements that convey her deep compassion and her artist's sensibilities. From the confines of her native Mississippi these photographs unfold the world of Eudora Welty's art, reaching, extending, and exploring. In the Deep South of Depression times, when she began writing, she discovered the place into which she had been born and which would always be her subject. From here, as these photographs show, she approached and risked the outside world. From rural Mississippi to New Orleans, Charleston, New York City, and Yaddo, and then to Ireland, England, and the Continent, Welty widened her vision and expanded her art. These photographs reveal that both in her fiction and in the pictures she took it has always been in place, in the special qualities of what is local, that she found her impulse.

226 pages, Paperback

First published January 1,1989

This edition

Format
226 pages, Paperback
Published
October 21, 1993 by University Press of Mississippi
ISBN
9780878055296
ASIN
0878055290
Language
English

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About the author

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eudora welty

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Eudora Alice Welty was an award-winning American author who wrote short stories and novels about the American South. Her book The Optimist's Daughter won the Pulitzer Prize in 1973 and she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, among numerous awards. She was the first living author to have her works published by the Library of America.

Welty was born in Jackson, Mississippi, and lived a significant portion of her life in the city's Belhaven neighborhood, where her home has been preserved. She was educated at the Mississippi State College for Women (now called Mississippi University for Women), the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Columbia Business School. While at Columbia University, where she was the captain of the women's polo team, Welty was a regular at Romany Marie's café in 1930.

During the 1930s, Welty worked as a photographer for the Works Progress Administration, a job that sent her all over the state of Mississippi photographing people from all economic and social classes. Collections of her photographs are One Time, One Place and Photographs.

Welty's true love was literature, not photography, and she soon devoted her energy to writing fiction. Her first short story, "Death of a Traveling Salesman," appeared in 1936. Her work attracted the attention of Katherine Anne Porter, who became a mentor to her and wrote the foreword to Welty's first collection of short stories, A Curtain of Green, in 1941. The book immediately established Welty as one of American literature's leading lights and featured the legendary and oft-anthologized stories "Why I Live at the P.O.," "Petrified Man," and "A Worn Path." Her novel, The Optimist's Daughter, won the Pulitzer Prize in 1973.

In 1992, Welty was awarded the Rea Award for the Short Story for her lifetime contributions to the American short story, and was also a charter member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers, founded in 1987. In her later life, she lived near Belhaven College in Jackson, Mississippi, where, despite her fame, she was still a common sight among the people of her hometown.
Eudora Welty died of pneumonia in Jackson, Mississippi, at the age of 92, and is buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Jackson.

Excerpted and adopted from Wikipedia.

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Rating(4.3 / 5.0, 21 votes)
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21 reviews All reviews
Profile Image for Kimberly .
-Snowman-
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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Beautiful

Beauty is a concept that has fascinated humanity throughout the ages. It can be found in nature, in art, in architecture, and in the human form. A beautiful sunset, a majestic mountain range, a delicate flower - all these things have the power to inspire awe and wonder in us.


In art, beauty can take many forms. A painting, a sculpture, a piece of music, or a dance can all be beautiful in their own unique ways. The beauty of a work of art often lies in its ability to evoke emotions and connect with us on a deeper level.


Architecture is another area where beauty is highly valued. A well-designed building can be a thing of great beauty, with its graceful lines, harmonious proportions, and use of materials. Whether it's a modern skyscraper or an ancient cathedral, a beautiful building has the power to enhance the urban landscape and bring joy to those who see it.


Finally, the human form is also a source of great beauty. A person's face, body, and movements can all be beautiful, and we are often drawn to those who possess physical beauty. However, true beauty goes beyond the physical and includes qualities such as kindness, compassion, and inner strength.


In conclusion, beauty is a multifaceted and complex concept that can be found in many different aspects of our lives. Whether we are欣赏 the beauty of nature, art, architecture, or the human form, it has the power to inspire us, uplift us, and make our lives more meaningful.
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vinaruoh
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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Please provide the article that needs to be rewritten and expanded so that I can help you.
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TeitoKlein
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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Eudora Welty's photographs are truly remarkable.

What makes them stand out is their exceptionally kind and humanistic viewpoint.

This is a quality that you may not even realize is lacking until you encounter it.

It sets her apart from some of the more well-known photographers of her time, such as Walker Evans and Dorothea Lange.

Welty has a unique way of capturing people.

It's as if she is taking a casual, relaxed snapshot right out of a family album.

She seems to capture them in a way that they would presumably want to be portrayed.

Her photographs have a certain charm and warmth that draw the viewer in and make them feel a connection to the people in the images.

They tell stories and reveal the humanity within each individual.

Welty's work is a testament to her ability to see the beauty and kindness in the world around her and to capture it through her lens.

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RanRa45
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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I truly love that Welty had the remarkable ability to capture these people and their lives not only through her powerful words but also in photos. Her photographs offer a unique and vivid perspective, allowing us to see the essence and details of their existence. It's as if through the lens of her camera, she was able to freeze moments in time and preserve the emotions, expressions, and stories of these individuals. The combination of her written descriptions and the visual images in her photos creates a more comprehensive and immersive experience for the reader. We can not only imagine the scenes she described but also see them with our own eyes. It enriches our understanding and connection to the people and their lives that she so passionately documented.

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NikoRobin
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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Beautiful and evocative black and white portraits from another time

These portraits seem to transport us to a different era. Each one has a certain charm that is both captivating and thought-provoking. Despite being from another time, they possess an almost timeless quality

The forewords by Natasha Trethewey and Reynolds Price offer valuable perspectives on the portraits. Their words add depth and context, helping us to better understand the significance and meaning behind each image

In addition, a good interview with Welty provides insights into her art. We get to learn about her creative process, her inspirations, and her unique vision

Together, these elements make this collection of black and white portraits a truly remarkable and engaging experience. It allows us to step into Welty's world and appreciate the beauty and artistry of her work.
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kkurai
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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“A dazzling record of this writer’s unique and special vision” indeed.

Reynolds Price's thoughtful preface and an insightful introductory interview with Eudora Welty frame this powerful collection of Welty’s photographs.

Most of these photographs were taken for the WPA during the Great Depression, while some were from her travels, and a few were of her friends and family.

From “Introduction, Eudora Welty and Photography: An Interview”:

“I never posed anybody—that was on principle. I let my subjects go on with what they were doing and, by framing or cutting and by selection, found what composition rose from that. So, I think that’s a quality that makes them different from those of professionals who were purposefully photographing for an agency, or a cause.” (p. xix)

“It’s not my nature to be on the other side of the camera. It came about through the circumstances of my being a writer.” (p. xix)

“I suppose that what made me take the pictures was some irresistible notion that I might capture some essence of the place I’d just arrived at, new to me and my eyes and my camera. Yes, I was smitten by the identity of place wherever I was, from Mississippi on—I still am.”

“I tried to tell the truth.”

Some of her favorite photos include “A woman of the ‘thirties”, “Mississippi, 1930s”, “Helena Arden”, “At the bootlegger’s house”, “Born in This Hand”, “Jackson”, “Saturday off”, “Farmers in town”, “Dolls”, “Sisters”, “Washwoman”, “Ruins of Windsor”*, “Country church”, “Mexico”, “Katherine Anne Porter/Yaddo”, “Elizabeth Bowen”, and “Eudora Welty, Hubert Creekmore, Margaret Harmon, and Nash K. Burger”. Each of these photos holds a unique story and a piece of Welty's vision.
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nguyenduyhoangb
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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Most fans of Eudora Welty are well aware of her as an author.

However, fewer of them realize that she was also an accomplished photographer.

This small edition is filled with numerous images that vividly depict the small town and country life in the Mississippi Delta during the period from the 1930s through the 1950s.

There is a strong emphasis on candid shots of people of color, which provides a unique and valuable perspective.

These photographs offer a fantastic look into the daily life of that era, allowing viewers to step back in time and experience the essence of a bygone era.

It is truly remarkable how Welty was able to capture the beauty, simplicity, and complexity of life in the Mississippi Delta through her lens.

Her photography not only complements her writing but also stands on its own as a significant body of work.

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CherryStrong_165
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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A comprehensive collection of Eudora Welty's photographs has been presented. It comes with an introduction by Reynolds Price and an interview of Welty. She was not just a brilliant short story writer but also a masterful photographer.

Among her works, my favorites are (115) Home by Dark and (119) Ruins of Windsor. In these photographs, the viewer can catch a glimpse of Miss Eudora's ghostly silhouette. This silhouette adds an element of mystery to the place. It seems to speak of a bygone era and the ravages of time.

The collection offers a unique perspective into Welty's creative vision. Her photographs, like her stories, have the power to transport the viewer to another world. They capture the essence of a moment and the emotions that come with it. Through her lens, we can see the beauty and the sadness, the joy and the pain of life.

This collection is a must-see for anyone who loves art, literature, or photography. It is a testament to Welty's talent and her ability to create something truly remarkable.
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