Guggenheim 452--Hollywood 1955 - 1956

Editor: So, here we have Robert Frank's "Guggenheim 452--Hollywood," created between 1955 and 1956, a gelatin-silver print presented as a contact sheet. It's really interesting how Frank leaves in the film strip. What do you make of it, in terms of its historical context? Curator: What strikes me immediately is how this work participates in a wider discussion about documentary photography at the time. This was an era where the photographer as a seemingly objective observer was being questioned. By showing us the whole strip, Frank breaks that illusion of objectivity. We see the outtakes, the frames that didn't make the final cut. It challenges the supposed 'truth' that a single image can capture. Editor: So it's like, he's revealing the constructed nature of the image itself? Curator: Exactly. And considering he was photographing Hollywood, a place built on illusions, the decision becomes even more poignant. He's showing us not just the finished product, but also the process, the choices made, which ultimately shapes the narrative. Look at how many frames it took to get the ‘perfect’ shot of those gatherings of people; that suggests something about what Hollywood presents to the world versus what might be reality. Does that shift how you see the street-photography in the separate images? Editor: Definitely! Knowing it’s about constructed reality makes me think about the "authenticity" we expect from street photography. I guess even street scenes can be manipulated by what the photographer chooses to show, and, importantly, *not* to show. I see how placing his work in a social context of Hollywood reveals how it manufactures illusions. Curator: And how museums, galleries, and even photographic exhibitions do, too! Editor: Well, this has definitely given me a new perspective on documentary photography and the power of selection and context.