Macy's parade no number 1947

Editor: So, this is Robert Frank's "Macy's parade no number," a gelatin silver print from 1947. The array of small frames, like a film strip, gives a really fragmented, almost anxious feel. What do you see in it? Curator: The grid-like structure emphasizes the fractured nature of modern experience, particularly the mediated experience. Each frame presents a different symbolic view of this uniquely American spectacle. Notice the repeated presence of the crowds, always in relation to the commercial signage—"Camel" cigarettes, for instance. Editor: The parade balloons are huge, but somehow the crowd feels...diminished? Curator: Exactly! This is about power, who is doing what, and what do they do for spectacle? Do the individuals find belonging in being spectators of the parade, or do they lose themselves there? This tension is precisely what Frank captures through visual contrasts. It really encapsulates an emerging identity—the postwar consumer. What about this arrangement of frames affects your interpretation? Editor: I think the way the frames are arranged kind of scrambles any easy reading of the parade as simply celebratory. It feels more critical. Curator: I agree. The sequencing creates a rhythm, a beat—but it's a disruptive one. The cultural memory of joy, perhaps tarnished, complicated, even made cynical by commerce and mass media. Do you notice anything in these frames that are in focus? Is anything blurred? How does that influence what meanings are layered on top of the image? Editor: The crispness of some of the signs and the faces of the crowd definitely brings focus to ideas of consumerism and individuality... or lack thereof. I hadn't thought of that! Curator: And I appreciate your perspective on how the fragmented form communicates anxiety, so relevant in those postwar years. Thank you for sharing insights.