Carhops--Houston, Texas 1955

Editor: So, this is Robert Frank’s "Carhops--Houston, Texas," a print from 1955. There's something about the casual stillness of the carhops, all in their uniforms, that feels staged and real at the same time. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Frank’s work is deceptively simple. He’s not just capturing a scene, he's critiquing the burgeoning American Dream and issues of labor, gender, and race. Those "all flavors" malts seem less innocent when you consider who had access to them and who was serving them, don't they? Editor: That's interesting, I hadn’t considered it that way. So, you're suggesting that the photograph hints at social stratification? Curator: Exactly. The composition draws attention to the performative aspect of their roles as service workers. Are they empowered or subjugated by these uniforms, this job? Are they participating in consumer culture, or are they being consumed by it? How do we see them and how are they seen by their customers? Editor: The thick malt sign now seems a bit ironic! All those flavors but perhaps not available to everyone equally. Curator: And Frank’s gritty, unpolished style was a conscious rejection of the idealized images of the time. He's pushing us to look beyond the surface, to question what's underneath. How does it speak to our moment today, do you think? Editor: I think it reminds us to look critically at nostalgia and question the narratives we tell ourselves about the past, like, whose story is being told, and who's left out? Curator: Precisely. The photograph becomes a site for continued conversation about labor, race, and access in America, doesn't it? Editor: Yes, this photo made me question that idealized image that I have about the 50s. It’s way more nuanced than I thought!