Paris 96B 1951 - 1952

Robert Frank, born in Switzerland in 1924 to a Jewish family, created this gelatin silver print, titled "Paris 96B." Frank, who emigrated to the U.S. in 1947, is known for his raw, sometimes gritty, style, which challenged the polished aesthetic of mainstream photography. Looking at this contact sheet, one gets a sense of the emotional and political landscape of postwar Europe. The images, presented as strips of film, offer glimpses into daily life juxtaposed with scenes of formality and regimentation. The blurred lines, the stark contrasts, and the choice of seemingly mundane subjects speak to a desire to capture the unvarnished truth of the world around him. Frank once said, "Black and white are the colors of photography. To me they symbolize the alternatives of hope and despair to which mankind is forever subjected." His work invites us to see the world not as a series of perfect moments, but as a complex interplay of light and shadow, order and chaos, joy and sorrow.