Embarkation--New York City no number 1955

Robert Frank's photographic contact sheet, "Embarkation--New York City" presents a raw, almost diaristic view into his artistic process. Made with a 35mm Leica camera and developed using standard darkroom practices, this sheet isn't just a selection of images, it’s a record of Frank's choices, showing which frames he considered worthy of printing. The inherent qualities of black and white film—its grain, contrast, and tonal range—infuse the images with a sense of immediacy and documentary truth. The contact sheet format itself speaks to the labor-intensive nature of photography before the digital age; each frame carefully exposed, developed, and then assessed. By presenting the contact sheet as a finished work, Frank blurs the lines between the working process and the final artwork, inviting us to consider the photographer's role not just as an artist, but also as a craftsman carefully selecting and refining his vision. This approach highlights the importance of both the act of making and the context in which art is produced, challenging traditional hierarchies between fine art and craft.