Kennedy inauguration 2 1961

Curator: Let's look at Robert Frank's "Kennedy Inauguration 2," shot in 1961. What jumps out at you about it? Editor: It's grainy, like a faded memory trying to surface. You see the strips, the edge markings. There is a tension there, a raw glimpse into this constructed mythology around the Kennedys. Curator: I get that. To me, Frank's eye gives these moments a different sort of... vulnerability. He strips away some of the expected polish and presents this sort of grittier behind-the-scenes reel, more attuned to his famous ‘The Americans’ series. What do you think about that? Editor: Definitely. It's about deconstructing the image. Look at the materiality; it’s a gelatin silver print. Frank’s labor becomes tangible; the chemical processes, the darkroom manipulations – those become just as vital to the narrative as the subject. Curator: Precisely. And that juxtaposition – these figures elevated to almost mythic status, yet captured through such an accessible, almost disposable, medium. What is more mundane than the photographic film itself? Editor: It forces us to consider who gets to craft the historical narrative. Think about who's handling the camera, making the choices, influencing perception of labor. Are they celebrating, documenting, critiquing, selling the myth? It complicates everything. Curator: Absolutely. The very act of documenting shifts to something that challenges the official version of a grand national day. Maybe we are just left with someone’s perspective, some silver and gelatin from a specific place and time… Editor: Exactly. This one frame holds so much– questioning everything from its production to its iconic status.