Matthew Haynes, Angola, Louisiana 11 - 1999

Deborah Luster created this poignant photographic portrait of Matthew Haynes at Angola, Louisiana, using the 19th-century technique of the tintype. Haynes stands against the backdrop of the very fields he likely works, holding a straw hat. The location itself is heavy with historical weight, as Angola is the site of the Louisiana State Penitentiary, the largest maximum-security prison in the United States, built on the grounds of a former slave plantation. Luster's work often engages with themes of mortality and injustice, and here she asks us to consider the intersection of race, labor, and incarceration in the American South. This image is a potent reminder of the legacies of slavery and their continued presence in contemporary society. The picture offers a moment of reflection, prompting us to consider the individual lives shaped by these systems.