Ethel, Eunice, and Pat Kennedy, convention hall--Chicago 1956

Editor: Here we have Robert Frank's 1956 gelatin silver print, "Ethel, Eunice, and Pat Kennedy, convention hall--Chicago." The energy practically jumps out of the frame. The composition feels raw and candid. What stands out to you? Curator: The image is deceptively simple, isn't it? It looks like a straightforward snapshot, but when we delve into the sociopolitical context of 1950s America and Frank's outsider perspective as a Swiss immigrant, it becomes incredibly compelling. These are the Kennedy women – symbols of American royalty, wealth, and power. Yet, Frank captures them not as distant icons, but as active participants, seemingly caught up in the fervor of the convention. Editor: So you are saying it’s about subverting expectations? Curator: Precisely! This was taken before the Camelot myth fully solidified. It is almost an intentional act of democratization by Frank. Look at the graininess, the off-center composition, this contrasts sharply with the carefully constructed images of celebrity we were accustomed to seeing. Consider what it meant to depict powerful women, usually portrayed as elegant and serene, with this almost unnerving intensity. Is Frank celebrating or critiquing their involvement? The lack of easy answers makes it powerful. Editor: I guess I was expecting a more glamorous depiction, something more polished, given the subjects. Curator: And that very expectation is precisely what Frank is playing with, questioning the idealized narratives that surrounded figures like the Kennedys, and probing deeper into the complex relationship between power, gender, and representation. What does this image tell us about whose voices are typically amplified and whose are suppressed? Editor: That’s given me a lot to consider, it’s so much more complex than it first appears. Thank you! Curator: My pleasure. Looking at art through this lens always reveals something new.