New York City 10 1960

Robert Frank created this contact sheet, New York City 10, using black and white film. Frank, a Swiss immigrant, captured an America that was both beautiful and bleak during the mid-1950s. His work challenged the idealized images of the American Dream, revealing a starker reality marked by social divisions and urban alienation. You can see the city lights and car headlights through the darkness, reflecting both the promise and loneliness of urban life. Frank was known for his raw, unfiltered style. He once said, "When people look at my pictures, I want them to feel the way they do when they want to read a line of poetry twice." This sheet offers us a glimpse into his photographic process, inviting us to reflect on the complex narratives of identity and place woven into the American landscape. It serves as a reminder of the emotional and personal dimensions of documentary photography, and the silent stories that cities hold.