Nixon campaign 12 1960

Robert Frank created this photographic contact sheet, "Nixon campaign 12." Here, we see the motifs of political gatherings, the raised hand, and faces in eager anticipation. Consider the raised hand, an age-old gesture. In ancient Rome, it signified power and command, a display echoed in the Renaissance depictions of emperors and gods. Yet, observe how this gesture transforms through time. During the French Revolution, it evolved into a symbol of unity and collective will. In these frames, Nixon adopts the same raised hand, though its meaning shifts again. Here, it is less about divine right or revolutionary fervor; instead, it is the calculated movement of a politician, carefully constructed for the media. These frames encapsulate the evolving symbolic language of power. The potency of these symbols lies in their ability to evoke deep, subconscious reactions. The raised hand still resonates, connecting viewers to a lineage of authority that spans millennia. It is a symbol that continues its cyclical journey through history.