Elderly delegate, convention hall--Chicago 1956

Robert Frank snapped this photograph, Elderly delegate, convention hall—Chicago, sometime during his life (1924-2019). What I love about this work is how Robert Frank manages to give an unposed, spontaneous feel to it. This moment feels found and authentic, yet, as a photographer, Frank has obviously chosen this particular angle, framing, and moment to capture. The grainy, high-contrast black and white adds to this sense of immediacy. It's a far cry from the sharp, clear images we get from our iPhones today, isn't it? I wonder if the woman knew she was being photographed? Look at how her gaze is slightly averted, but she still holds her head high with so many badges pinned to her floral print dress. What stories do you think she could tell? Frank’s photographic style is often associated with the work of other street photographers, like Garry Winogrand, but also painters, like Gerhard Richter, who blurred lines between mediums and challenged conventions. It makes me think about the fleeting, ephemeral nature of life itself.