Though he was born in Switzerland, photographer Robert Frank’s greatest legacy was his representation of places and figures across the United States, the bulk of which was published in a seminal book titled The Americans.
Frank emigrated to America in 1948, settling in New York City, where he was hired as a fashion photographer for Harper’s Bazaar by the magazine’s legendary art director Alexey Brodovitch, who also recruited Lisette Model, Richard Avedon and mid-century-era style-setting couple Leslie Gill and Frances McLaughlin-Gill. Frank’s artistic style — and use of a 35mm Leica, an unconventional choice in the fashion world — proved not to be a fit, however, and he left the job after a few months. He went on to produce street photography around the city while working freelance jobs for the likes of Vogue, Life and other publications.
But it was leaving New York that would produce Frank’s most notable work. Throughout the 1950s, with the support of a Guggenheim Fellowship and guidance from Walker Evans, he embarked on a series of cross-country road trips, traversing nearly every state in the continental U.S. and producing a wealth of arresting photographs of its inhabitants. The black-and-white images pioneered what became known as a “snapshot aesthetic,” capturing a spontaneous moment. Subjects are often out of focus and rarely looking toward the camera, and rippled fabric or bent grasses often suggest movement and breeze.
After an initial publication in France, where the photographs appear alongside essays, The Americans was released in the U.S. in 1959 with a foreword by author Jack Kerouac, who espoused Frank’s ability to capture a uniquely American spirit.
“That crazy feeling in America,” Kerouac wrote, “when the sun is hot and music comes out of the jukebox or from a nearby funeral, that’s what Robert Frank has captured in tremendous photographs taken as he traveled on the road around practically forty-eight states in an old used car.”
Following the release of The Americans, Frank turned much of his attention to film. He would go on to produce a film version of Kerouac’s The Beat Generation and cofounded the New American Cinema Group in 1960. He died in 2019.
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Robert Frank The Americans (1968 MoMa edition)
By Robert Frank
Located in Brooklyn, NY
1968 MoMa edition of Robert Frank The Americans: Cover: Fair overall vintage condition: minor creasing & age related wear. Interior: Good overall vintage condition. Bibliographic ...
Paper
Mabou Portfolio
By Robert Frank
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Robert Frank (1924–2019) was one of the most influential photographers of the 20th-century. Best known for his landmark book The Americans (1958), Frank transformed documentary photography through his candid, deeply personal approach to image-making. Throughout his career, he continually pushed the boundaries of the medium, incorporating film, collage, text, and autobiography into his work. The Mabou Portfolio emerged after Frank and his wife, artist June Leaf...
Photo-lithograph
Robert Frank Untitled from the Americans, 1958, Beats Culture, Black & White
By Robert Frank
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Robert Frank Untitled from the Americans, 1958, Beats Culture, Black & White. Photogravure print, mid-century, France,wax tissue mounted on conservation matboard. Influenced by the work of Jakob Tuggener and Bill Brandt, as well as Walker Evans, Frank, a native of Switzerland, Frank was fascinated by documentary photography and the notion and image of "America." Frank secured a Guggenheim fellowship in 1955 to do something new and unconstrained by commercial diktats. "The Americans" was first published in 1958 in France, before its first run in the US in 1959. The photographs were shocking and notable for their distanced view of both high and low strata of American society, creating a complicated portrait of a period that was, then and now, considered to be a skeptical portrait of post-WWII American values but also deeply empathetic and profoundly evocative of ubiquitous loneliness. Frank found a tension in the gloss of American culture and wealth over race and class differences, which gave his photographs a clear contrast to those of most contemporary American photojournalists, as did his use of unusual focus, low lighting and cropping that deviated from accepted photographic techniques. Shortly before the book was published in France, Frank returned to the US (1957) and met Jack Kerouac on the sidewalk outside a party. They started chatting. Frank showed him some of his photographs. Kerouac immediately told Frank "Sure, I can write something about these pictures." Kerouac would write the introduction to the American edition of the book, published two years later. Sociologist Howard S...
Paper
$25,000
Hollywood
By Robert Frank
Located in New York, NY
It's hard to imagine an approach to photography that contrasted more with Robert Frank’s freewheeling style than Hollywood’s glamour shots of film stars in the 1950s. The stills depa...
Silver Gelatin
Robert Frank, Paris, 1951, Black and White Photography, Tulips
By Robert Frank
Located in London, GB
Paris - Robert Frank (Black and White Photography) Signed and dated Silver gelatin print, printed 1970s 14 x 11 inches Frank’s photographs focused on elements of everyday life that ...
Silver Gelatin
Chanel Vertical, 1990
By Todd Burris
Located in Hudson, NY
Listing is for UNFRAMED print. Edition 1 of 15. CURRENT EXHIBITION - runs through September 4th, 2016. Any framed photographs purchased during the show will be available after September 4th. If the exhibition piece is sold or the customer orders a different print size, the photograph is produced upon purchase. Please allow two weeks for production. Shipping time depends on method of shipping. Price is subject to availability. The Robin Rice Gallery reserves the right to adjust this price depending on the current edition of the photograph. ABOUT: Since the early ‘90s, gallerist Robin Rice and designer Antony Todd...
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Silver Gelatin
I Love You, US Route 1, MD
By Gordon Stettinius
Located in Hudson, NY
8" x 10" photograph 7" x 7" image Tree, Black and White, Nature, Writing, Still Life, Love, Forest
Silver Gelatin
Winding Path Cyanotype Print, 11x18 in., Signed, Edition 2/10
By Christine So
Located in Oakland, CA
New as of Jan. 1, 2025. This is a brand-new addition to the artist's ever-growing series of foggy woods in northern California near San Francisco. These tall eucalyptus trees are the...
Paper, Archival Paper, Rag Paper, Photogram
$750 / item
H 11.8 in W 16.2 in D 4 in
Walt Disney Film Archives, the Animated Movies 1921-1968, Collector's Edition
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Hardcover, 620 pages, 41.1 x 30 cm (16.2 x 11.8 in.) in clamshell box. With portfolio of 5 cel setups, 37.6 x 30 cm (14.8 x 11.8 in.) and 30 x 36.3 cm (11.8 x 14.3 in.), and 64-page facsimile of 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice' storyboard from Fantasia, 30 x 37 cm (11.8 x 14.6 in.). This Taschen Collector’s edition presents the first volume of one of the most expansive illustrated publications on Disney animation. In it, some 1,500 images as well as top essays by eminent Disney experts take us to the beating heart of the studio’s “Golden Age of Animation,” tracing Disney’s complete animation journey from the silent film era, through his first full-length feature Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and the pioneering artistic experiment Fantasia (1940), right up to his last masterpieces Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree (1966) and The Jungle Book (1967). The book brings focus to each of the major animated features made during Walt’s lifetime, including Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo, Bambi, Cinderella, Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, and 101 Dalmatians, without forgetting the experimental short films of the Silly Symphonies series, underappreciated episodic musical films such as Make Mine Music and Melody Time, and many unfinished projects, such as proposed sequels to Fantasia or a homage to Davy Crockett by painter Thomas Hart Benton. With extensive research conducted through the collections of the Walt Disney Company, as well as private collections, editor Daniel Kothenschulte curates some of the most precious concept paintings and storyboards to reveal just how these animation masterpieces came to life. These original artworks are accompanied by cel setups of famous film scenes, rare pictures from Disney photographers, and fascinating excerpts from story conferences between Walt and his staff. Throughout, contributions from leading Disney specialists detail the evolution of each film and honour the outstanding animators and designers who influenced the style of the studio, among them Albert Hurter, Gustaf Tenggren, Kay Nielsen, Carl Barks, Mary Blair, Sylvia Holland, Tyrus Wong...
Other
$170
H 10.25 in W 8 in D 1 in
FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT THE NATURAL HOUSE First Edition 1954 HORIZON Hardcover Book
Located in San Diego, CA
FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT THE NATURAL HOUSE First Edition 1954 HORIZON Hardcover book nice original condition beautiful patina and pictures.
Paper
John Kacere Nude Prints
Located in Atlanta, GA
John Kacere nude prints, American, circa 1970s. The top print measures 18.25" H x 27.5" W. The bottom left measures 15" H x 23" W. The bottom right measures 14.75" H x 22" W. They ha...
Glass, Wood, Paper
$1,800
H 32.25 in W 27.3 in D 1.3 in
Christo / The Pont Neuf Wrapped / Project For Paris, 1984 Lithograph
By Nouvelles Images, Christo and Jeanne-Claude
Located in New York, NY
Christo / The Pont Neuf Wrapped / Project for Paris, 1984 / Collage En Deux Partes Offset lithograph in colors on woven paper, published by Nouvelles Ima...
Paper
$100Sale Price|20% Off
H 6.25 in W 11 in
The Path Home, cyanotype, 6 x 11 in., Ed. 1 of 3, Contemporary Landscape
By Christine So
Located in Oakland, CA
Giant oak reach across a shady path in the woods, soft morning light glowing in the distance. These are the woods in the hills of Oakland, across the bay from San Francisco. The phot...
Paper, Archival Paper, Rag Paper, Photogram
$3,566
H 9.45 in W 11.82 in
Nude Paris Willy Ronis 20th Century French Humanist photography black and white
By Willy Ronis
Located in Paris, FR
Willy Ronis is one of the most famous members of the French Humanist photography. Silver print on photographic paper Hand-signed by the artist lower right Stamp of the artist's stud...
Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin
White Morning (cyanotype, 7.25 x 11 in., ed. 1/3, Landscape)
By Christine So
Located in Oakland, CA
These are the foggy woods in the hills of Oakland, across the bay from San Francisco. Shortly after sunrise. Native Bay Laurel trees like the one in the foreground and Coast Live Oak...
Paper, Archival Paper, Rag Paper, Photogram
$4,500
H 16 in W 24 in
"Marilyn Monroe, 1962" Photography 16 x 24 in Edition 57/75 by Lawrence Schiller
By Lawrence Schiller
Located in Culver City, CA
"Marilyn Monroe, 1962" Photography 16 x 24 in Edition 57/75 by Lawrence Schiller Silver Gelatin print Edition 57/75 Signed and numbered by the artist Printed later On Wednesday, May 23, 1962, Marilyn Monroe stepped onto the set of Something’s Got to Give to film what would become one of the most iconic and talked-about moments of her career: the now-legendary nude swimming pool scene. This extraordinary day—captured in a series of rare photographs by renowned photographer Lawrence Schiller—has since become a cornerstone of Hollywood history. Key moments that make this session truly historic: A Bold Cinematic First: Monroe spent nearly four hours in the pool on the 20th Century Fox lot, filming a sequence in which her character, Ellen Arden, appears to swim nude...
Silver Gelatin
$3,566
H 15.75 in W 11.82 in
The Hair Willy Ronis Humanist black and white photography woman naked nude
By Willy Ronis
Located in Paris, FR
Willy Ronis is one of the most famous members of the French Humanist photography. Silver print on photographic paper Hand-signed by the artist lower right Stamp of the artist's stud...
Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin
The Americans: 81 Contact Sheets
By Robert Frank
Located in New York, NY
The is the last remaining set available by any gallery. Danziger Gallery is pleased to present the legendary but rarely seen limited edition portfolio “ROBERT FRANK - THE AMERICAN...
Photographic Film, Lithograph, Silver Gelatin
Sold
H 12 in W 12 in D 0.25 in
Original Rolling Stones Exile on Main Street Vinyl Record 'First Pressing'
By Robert Frank
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Vintage original rolling stones exile on main street vinyl first pressing, 1972, two vinyl records featuring photography by Robert Frank Cover:...
Paper
Sold
H 12 in W 12 in D 0.25 in
Original Rolling Stones Exile on Main Street Vinyl Record 'First Pressing'
By Robert Frank
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Vintage original rolling stones exile on main street vinyl first pressing, 1972; two vinyl records featuring photography by Robert Frank Cover: ...
Paper
Sold
H 12 in W 12 in D 0.25 in
Original Rolling Stones Exile on Main Street Vinyl Record 'First Pressing'
By Robert Frank
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Vintage original rolling stones exile on main street vinyl first pressing, 1972; two vinyl records featuring photography by Robert Frank Cover...
Paper
Sold
H 12 in W 12 in D 0.25 in
Original Rolling Stones Exile on Main Street Vinyl Record 'First Pressing'
By Robert Frank
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Vintage original rolling stones exile on main street vinyl first pressing, 1972; two vinyl records featuring photography by Robert Frank Cover...
Sold
H 12 in W 12 in D 0.25 in
Original Rolling Stones, Exile on Main Street Vinyl Record ‘Robert Frank’
By Robert Frank
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Vintage original rolling stones exile on Main Street Vinyl first pressing, 1972; two vinyl records Photography/artwork by Robert Frank Cove...
Comme des Garcons Six Magazine, Number 4, 1989
By Rei Kawakubo, Robert Frank
Located in CA, CA
Only published between 1988 and 1991, the few existing issues of Comme Des Garcons’ biannual ‘Six’ magazine have become hugely collectable. Collaborating with artists, Rei Kawakubo created publications to be released inline with her collections of those years. This incredible issue includes work from Robert Frank, Arthur Elgort, Josef Koudeika, Saul Leiter...
Original Rolling Stones, Exile on Main Street Vinyl Record
By Robert Frank
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Vintage Original Rolling Stones Exile on Main Street Vinyl 1st Pressing, 1972 Photography/Artwork by Robert Frank Cover, inserts & both rec...
Offset
Untitled, Amusement Park
By Robert Frank
Located in Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA
Signed on the back of the print, lower right. Exhibited Cantor Arts Center, Stanford University, 1985.
Silver Gelatin
Motorama, Los Angeles
By Robert Frank
Located in Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA
Signed on the front of the print, lower right in black ink. Exhibited Cantor Arts Center, Stanford University, 1985.
Silver Gelatin
Photo Booth
By Robert Frank
Located in Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA
Signed on the front of the print, lower right in black ink. Exhibited Cantor Arts Center, Stanford University, 1985.
Silver Gelatin