Der Sport (Sports) 1-12 1942 - 1946

Robert Frank made this photographic series, titled 'Der Sport', in Switzerland sometime in the mid-20th century. It’s a study in contrasts: black and white tones, solid mountains and fluid water, the groundedness of the skiers and the weightlessness of their jumps. But what is the point of this study? Switzerland has a long history of neutrality, but its geographic location has made it a crossroads of European culture and commerce. This photographic series is an exploration of leisure at a time when older class-based societies were starting to crumble. The Swiss Alps became a playground for Europeans and Americans seeking refuge from the new social order and an escape from the anxieties of urban life. To fully understand this image, historians might investigate Swiss economic history, the rise of modern tourism, and the changing role of sport and recreation in modern life. The meaning of Frank's 'Der Sport' emerges from its specific social and institutional context.