Guggenheim 516--Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio, Universal City, California 1956

Robert Frank made this photographic contact sheet, titled ‘Guggenheim 516--Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio, Universal City, California’ using gelatin silver. Frank’s choice of subject matter has the feeling of being an ‘outsider looking in’. Hollywood’s studio system was at its peak. The film industry was a powerful cultural institution, shaping tastes and influencing society on a global scale. Note how he creates a fragmented, almost voyeuristic perspective on the filmmaking process and the people involved. It could be interpreted as a critique of the industry's power and its often-artificial portrayal of reality. As historians, to understand Frank’s work better, we might explore the history of the studio system, the social and cultural context of Hollywood in the mid-20th century, and the work of other photographers who have turned their lens on the film industry. Frank encourages us to reflect on the complex relationship between art, commerce, and cultural representation.