11th Street story 55 1951

Robert Frank made "11th Street story 55", a photographic contact sheet, sometime in the mid-twentieth century. This work offers a glimpse into the everyday life of urban America. The candid, unposed shots of a street cleaner at work are a study of the working class. Frank’s photography often captured images of laborers and those on the margins of society. These images prompt us to reflect on the social and economic conditions that shape our lives. They also suggest a visual language that departed from the staged studio shots and the sentimentalism that was the style of the earlier 20th century. Frank’s images have been considered instrumental in shaping a more raw and immediate aesthetic of the postwar period. To fully understand this image, it is important to consider the social context in which it was created. Using sociological studies and historical records we might better understand how Frank’s work challenged the norms of his time.