Convention hall—Chicago 1956

Robert Frank made this gelatin silver print, entitled "Convention hall—Chicago," sometime in the mid-20th century. The photograph depicts several figures gazing upwards under the shadow of an American flag. Frank was a Swiss-born photographer who came to the United States in 1947. He is best known for his book "The Americans," which features photographs he took while traveling across the country in the 1950s. These photos offered a critical outsider's perspective of American society during the Cold War era. He was supported by a Guggenheim Fellowship, an example of how institutions can encourage artistic expression. "Convention hall—Chicago," with its slightly out-of-focus, grainy quality, and odd angle, shows Frank's interest in subverting the norms of conventional photography. The faces look expectantly toward the flag, hinting at themes of patriotism, politics, and perhaps even propaganda. To further understand Frank's art, you can explore his biography and the social context of 1950s America through archives, libraries, and historical societies. By looking at how art is embedded in a particular time and place, we can better understand its significance.