Guggenheim 699/Americans 26--Butte, Montana 1956

Robert Frank created this contact sheet for his series “The Americans”, a project funded by a Guggenheim Fellowship. This particular sheet shows images taken in Butte, Montana. Frank’s work is rooted in a critique of American social norms in the 1950s. The contact sheet provides insight into Frank's artistic process, revealing how he captured and selected images. It's important to remember that the Guggenheim Foundation, while supporting artistic endeavors, also embodies a particular set of cultural values and expectations. The images themselves, capturing everyday scenes in Butte, Montana, reflect the social and economic realities of a specific time and place in America. Frank’s photography challenged the idealized images of the American dream prevalent at the time, showing a more complex and sometimes bleak reality. Understanding Frank's intentions and the cultural context of his work requires us to delve into historical sources, including his writings, interviews, and the social and political climate of the 1950s.