Actors--Filming "Steibruch" 1942

Curator: This is "Actors--Filming 'Steibruch'," a 1942 gelatin silver print by Robert Frank. It captures a scene being filmed, apparently outdoors at night, involving two men. One man kneels with a solemn look, while the other looms over him with a rifle. Editor: My first thought is how the high contrast and limited light create this heavy, almost theatrical mood. You can almost feel the tension of the moment, despite the still image. Curator: Absolutely. It is interesting to note that while Frank is celebrated for his later work exploring American culture, this earlier image already shows his strong interest in film and performance. Think about how this image functions both as a documentary photograph and a staged performance. It also seems like we're looking at labor - labor in film and performance but what other labor has produced this image? Editor: That makes me wonder about the context of the film itself. "Steibruch," translating to "Quarry," likely involved themes related to struggle or extraction. In 1942, during World War II, the film's themes may carry a significant political undertone—especially if produced in a Nazi-occupied country. Curator: The setting, possibly a constructed quarry or a theatrical set made from wooden support structures and backdrop of stones, intrigues me. You have real, unprocessed wooden poles next to fabricated structures used to convey setting. Consider what that kind of artifice may speak to, alongside the stark presence of the rifle in the photograph's narrative. It all points to very intentional construction. Editor: The men’s roles in the scene are also very compelling, which evokes complex layers of power. What stories are these roles acting out and reenacting through production, and how are they tied into the socio-political climate? Considering Robert Frank's career, with much of his later work examining disenfranchised people, it begs the question about the role of marginalized communities even within filmmaking. Curator: Thinking about the labor, it is amazing to imagine how the set materials alone inform our understanding. A photograph doesn’t just “capture” reality—the final print requires human construction and intervention to get it there. It is a perfect example of how photography and the creation of film intersect with very material means. Editor: It is thought-provoking how this image pulls apart so many layers, doesn’t it? On the one hand, a starkly lit, high contrast documentary style photo and on the other a complicated staged tableau with suggestive political implications during a tumultuous moment in modern history.