Widely regarded as one of the
most influential photographers of all time, Robert Frank’s rough, highly
charged images have had a profound influence worldwide on several generations
of artists. His fame rests largely on one book, The Americans (1959). A project of epic proportions—to document
American culture and society—Frank’s images cut through the clichés and
sentimentality that characterized most photography of the post-war era by
presenting cars, juke boxes, diners, gas stations, and even the road itself as
more insightful symbols for contemporary American life than sweeping, majestic
landscapes.