Woman in Rexall Drug store--Los Angeles 1955

Curator: Robert Frank's 1955 gelatin silver print, "Woman in Rexall Drug store—Los Angeles," presents a slice of mid-century Americana. Editor: It strikes me as rather bleak, despite the ordinariness of the scene. There's something very isolating about that lone woman amidst the boxes of what appear to be pharmaceuticals. Curator: The photograph forms part of Frank’s broader project, "The Americans." Think about the societal pressures and the consumerism burgeoning in the 50s. The woman seems dwarfed by the abundance around her. The refrigerator labelled “Refrigerated Biologicals,” combined with the boxes of medication, evokes a rather clinical feel, even in a public space. Editor: Absolutely, and the fact that it's a drugstore - a place meant to promote health - yet the woman's expression is one of weary resignation. We should consider the production and distribution networks at play. The drugstore itself as a commercial institution relies heavily on pharmaceutical manufacturers, labor in factories, and logistical systems that place consumer goods, and by implication, a promise of wellbeing, within reach. How accessible *is* that wellbeing, though? Curator: That’s a crucial point. How does the setting impact our reading? This wasn’t just a random street corner; it was a Rexall, a chain with a specific, middle-class appeal, manufacturing social status. Consider too, the contrast between her clothes and the gleaming refrigerator and the toy cases atop it: these objects represent consumer desire and potentially reveal Frank's commentary on socio-economic disparities in a time of presumed prosperity. Editor: Exactly! By placing the woman amidst these highly-produced, commercially-driven elements, Frank highlights the individual’s place within—or perhaps outside of—this consumer culture. Her gaze doesn’t seem to engage with any of it. The image becomes a commentary on alienation. Curator: A very pointed critique woven into an seemingly everyday moment. A moment of private contemplation in public. Editor: It’s unsettling to reflect that images like this still resonate so strongly, highlighting the continuing commodification and institutionalized approaches to health and the pursuit of happiness in American life.