Ever wonder about the back story behind Walker Evans’ iconic image of an Alabama tenant farmer’s wife? Or the camera technique Berenice Abbott used to capture such striking images of New York City’s skyscrapers? In American Modern, an illustrated companion guide to the photography exhibition of the same name, Sharon Corwin, Jessica May, and Terri Weissman chronicle how three major figures in American documentary style photography—Berenice Abbott, Walker Evans, and Margaret Bourke-White—transformed the style from a marginalized genre associated with Progressive reform politics to the dominant form it is today.

American Modern cover image

For those who can’t attend the exhibition, which runs from October 2, 2010 – January 2, 2011 at the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, the museum has put together an interactive mobile tour of the show, featuring photos from its galleries and audio commentary from Corwin, May, and Weissman. View a full guide to the audio pieces accompanying the show.

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