Military men on bridge c. 1945

Robert Frank created this small photograph, 'Military men on bridge', at an unknown date, leaving us to contemplate the scene and wonder about its history. Look at how the girders of the bridge form a kind of tunnel, directing our gaze, and probably the soldiers too. I can imagine Frank, with his Leica, trying to capture not just the architecture, but also the mood of these men. What are they thinking? Are they just crossing, or waiting, or looking? It’s like he's caught a fleeting moment, a pause, where the bridge becomes more than just a structure; it becomes a stage, a platform for the theatre of life. Bridges are so fascinating that way, like thresholds. Frank reminds us that every image is a construction, a choice, an attempt to freeze the ever-flowing river of time.