Children playing with suitcase 1941 - 1945

Here we have a small black and white photograph by Robert Frank, of two children playing with a suitcase. The suitcase seems to be the portal to their curiosity and adventure. I feel like I'm looking into a memory, a snapshot of fleeting childhood. I wonder what was going through Frank's mind when he captured this moment? Was he thinking about his own kids, or his peripatetic childhood? You know, in this work, Frank isn't trying to be overly sentimental, but there's a definite tenderness in the way he frames these kids. I think Frank is saying something about the universal experience of being a kid, full of wonder and possibility. Frank's photography has always been about capturing the gritty, unvarnished truth of American life, and this image is no different. It's a little gem. It reminds me of the work of other street photographers like Helen Levitt or Garry Winogrand, who were also drawn to the everyday moments that often go unnoticed. There is an ongoing conversation between artists, inspiring one another's creativity.