Control booth, NBC TV studio--Burbank, California 1956

Robert Frank captured this control booth at NBC TV studio in Burbank, California, using his signature grainy, high-contrast style of photography. The photograph’s power resides in its depiction of the media's inner sanctum. Note the banks of screens and intricate control panels—tools of a complex and rapidly evolving technology, all dedicated to the production of television. Frank doesn’t just show us the technology itself. He also hints at the vast infrastructure of labor and capital required to run a major television network. The workers who operate this equipment are absent, but their presence is implicit. The image offers a glimpse into the engine room of the entertainment industry, where countless hours are spent shaping narratives and images for mass consumption. Frank’s work reminds us that every image we see on screen is the product of a complex process, shaped by the hands of unseen workers.