Women boarding bus--Chattanooga, Tennessee 1955

Robert Frank's photograph captures women boarding a bus in Chattanooga, Tennessee, at an undetermined date. The bus, emblazoned with a stylized mouth around its grill, presents a fascinating, almost grotesque visual. This motif of the 'devouring mouth' is one that appears across cultures and eras. Consider the ancient Greek gorgoneion, a mask featuring a fearsome face, often with protruding tongue and sharp teeth, used to ward off evil. Here, however, the mouth is an invitation, a means of transport, yet it retains a primal, subconscious resonance. One cannot help but reflect on the psychological implications of entering such a vehicle. This image echoes the cyclical nature of symbols, resurfacing and evolving across time. The juxtaposition of this primal image on a vehicle of modern transport forces the viewer to reflect on the past, present, and future, intertwined in a single frame.