Guggenheim 368--between Houston and San Antonio, Texas 1955

Editor: Here we have Robert Frank’s “Guggenheim 368—between Houston and San Antonio, Texas,” a gelatin silver print from 1955. I’m immediately drawn to the structure of the contact sheet, seeing the process laid bare. What grabs your attention about this work? Curator: Well, beyond the visible means of photographic production – the very film strip itself – it’s crucial to consider what Frank *didn’t* choose. The images he omitted from his final edit speak volumes about the social context he was navigating. This is a gritty, unromantic view of America. Editor: Unromantic, definitely. Why focus on the choices *not* made? Curator: Because the omitted images challenge any singular narrative. Think about the labor involved: the taking, developing, and printing, then the ultimate *selection*. What narratives of work or social mobility were actively excluded from "The Americans"? The material reality of those left unseen matters. Editor: So it's like he's showing us what he chooses to consume and, by extension, what we consume as viewers? Curator: Exactly! And further, to emphasize the labor, or the selective narratives of America at the time. How do these individual frames, captured and later deemed 'unworthy,' highlight issues of power, class and access that Frank alludes to within the photographs that he ultimately published? Consider the working conditions, maybe even the lack of mobility inherent in the captured content? Editor: I see what you mean. The images outside the highlighted circles reveal how Frank curated a specific view by leaving those frames out of "The Americans." It’s not just about what’s *in* the frame but what's intentionally *left out*. This gives more depth to his work. Thanks. Curator: Indeed! Considering the photographic process *itself* provides such invaluable perspective here.