Guggenheim 711--Rodeo, Casper, Wyoming 1956

Robert Frank captured this photostrip titled "Guggenheim 711-Rodeo, Casper, Wyoming." Frank’s work often captured the grit and underbelly of American life. Here, in Casper, Wyoming, Frank’s photos offer us a glimpse into a distinctly American cultural ritual: the rodeo. But these images are far from romantic; they're a study in contrasts. We see the spectacle of the rodeo alongside the everyday life of its spectators. The black and white film adds a layer of starkness. It hints at the racial and class divides that are deeply embedded within the American landscape, even within a seemingly innocent event like a rodeo. Frank’s position as an outsider, a Swiss immigrant, allowed him to capture a more detached and critical view of American society. Through his lens, we see not just a rodeo, but a complex tapestry of American identity, struggle, and spectacle. It is a moment of looking at America, both beautiful and brutal, through the eyes of an outsider.