Guggenheim 526--Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California 1 - 1956

Robert Frank made this photographic contact sheet, "Guggenheim 526--Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California," in his darkroom. This sheet is a window into his process. I imagine Frank peering through the lens, deciding what to capture, clicking, advancing the film, and clicking again. Each frame, a fleeting moment, now captured for eternity in monochrome. The images show everyday scenes, buildings, and crowds, revealing the artist’s eye for composition and detail. I wonder what he was thinking as he snapped each shot, what stories he hoped to tell? The red circle suggests an image he wanted to come back to, a possible favorite he wanted to develop, or maybe he liked the energy, the feel, or the composition? Frank, like all artists, was in conversation with the world and other artists. He was inspired by what came before, and he in turn, inspires us. We, too, have a point of view to share, an image, a moment, a story to tell.