Annotated Bib #3 Kaitlyn Bavuso

Two men, subway. New York. 1954

Observation: 

     There are stairs leading down to the subway. There is two railings on either side. There is a one black man and one white man standing at the base of each of the steps. They are facing in the opposite direction. The white man face is looking ahead, while the African American head is facing down towards the floor. Both are dressed in equal fashion. They are standing on a platform. They are waiting for the subway train.

Inference: 

    After analyzing this photograph the message is simple, as it subtly demonstrates the racial divide between the white and African American community metaphorically. DeCarava was known to use metaphors to rely messages within his simplistic photographs. “DeCarava’s masterful control of tonal ranges of deep blacks in photographic palette has had metaphoric implications” (Epilogue Dawoud Bey & Act of Reciprocity).  Their positions of on their side of the railing subtly demonstrates possible equality, yet realistically they are not equal because of racial background. The white man on the left, is staring straight out into the empty railway, which could give the impression that he has no remorse or effect on racial inequality. The African American on the right hand side, appears to be looking downward,  as if he is ashamed or should be ashamed of his racial background. What is interesting is the attire in which both men are wearing. They both seem to be very well dressed, both wearing suit-jackets, and one with hat and one with a scarf.  They both are dressed very well,  but they are not equal because of their racial background. What really was interesting was the staircase itself. Typically staircases are associated with the idea of ascension, metaphorically meaning there is something better is on top. In this instance, the photograph depicts the angle of it facing downwards, which could indicate the tension and dismal aspect of the racial divide between the two communities. The staircase reminds me of when DeCarava talks about photograph “Hallway”. He described that the Hallway, dark , long and gloomy, left a negative effect towards his childhood growing up in New York. “ Not just one hallway, but all the hallways I grew up in were poor, badly lit, and confining… It was frightening, it was scary, and it was depressing”(Duganne 134-135).  It has the same effect of racial divide among the city of Harlem, which is where he grew up. The staircase has similar taste of dark and gloomy as it leads down to the subway where the two men are standing opposite of each other. It appears to open because of the empty subway, but the stance of two men make a create a restrictive tension between the two cultures. 

DeCarava, Roy. Two Men Subway Stairs. 1954. New York. Alan Thomas on Roy DeCarava. Web. 23 Sept. 2015.