The American's Robert Frank

           Robert Frank was an American photographer born in Switzerland in 1924.  He also dabbled in filming and video editing later in life but he was most know for his photos particularly the book The Americans.  Frank learned photography to escape the confines of his business-oriented family.  He trained under a few photographers in Switzerland before immigrating to America in 1947 where his real career began and where he started his journey for his most famous book.

Robert Frank began his photo tour for his book The Americans in 1955 after securing a grant from the Guggenheim Foundation.  His idea was to travel across the United States and photograph layers of society.  He took 28,000 photos during his time but only 83 were selected for the book.  It was published first in France in 1958 and in the USA the year after.  His book was different than other photographers at the time because of his technique.  He used unusual focus, low lighting and cropping style that was not usual for photographers of the time.  His book was popular because it showed a different kind of America.  It showed that not everyone was living the American “Dream.” His book became an important part of American photography history and became his defining work.