Guggenheim 551--Forest Lawn Cemetery, Glendale, California 1955 - 1956

This is Robert Frank's contact sheet from his project at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale, California. The assembly is a symphony of life and death, each frame a symbol in itself. Consider the motif of the crowd, seen both at the top of the sheet and in the middle film strip. This congregation, whether for leisure or mourning, echoes ancient rituals. Collective gatherings can be traced back to early celebrations of life cycles and religious ceremonies. The frame of the woman in what appears to be a mausoleum, recalls the classical image of figures like Persephone, a goddess often associated with the changing of the seasons. Similarly, the setting sun in another photograph suggests themes of closure, loss, and transition to the afterlife. The symbol of the cross, marked in blue on one of the frames, is a symbol of hope, connecting the earthly and the divine. These symbols resonate on a subconscious level, embodying our shared human experiences. The contact sheet reveals how our present is always intertwined with the past.