In 1955, the Swiss-born photographer
Robert Frank won a
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation grant to photograph American people and places. For two years, Frank traveled by car throughout the United States, amassing over
20,000 negatives. The edited portfolio of
83 photographs was published in book form as
Les Américains by Robert Delpire in France in 1958, and as
The Americans in 1959 by Grove Press in New York.
The American edition included an introduction by
Jack Kerouac, the Beat writer most famous for his novel
On the Road. Describing the emotional scope of Frank’s portfolio, Kerouac wrote:
“After seeing these pictures you end up finally not knowing whether a jukebox is sadder than a coffin.” Frank’s photographs, which have become
landmarks in the history of
photography, were created with a
hand-held Leica camera, often with a
wide-angle lens, resulting in compositions that appear
unplanned, spontaneous, and are ultimately
revealing. In this
50th anniversary year of its publication,
MOCA presents a rare showing of the complete set of photographs comprising
The Americans, in the order carefully devised by Frank for the book.
MOCA’s portfolio, which is
the only complete set on the West coast, was purchased in 1995 with funds provided by Ralph M. Parsons Foundation.
From the Permanent Collection: Robert Frank’s “The Americans” was initiated by Rebecca Morse and Corrina Peipon.
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Come and celebrate the arrival of Gustavo Dudamel. This not-to-be missed evening of musical spirit will transform the Music Center Plaza into an open-air park setting for pillows, blankets and music lovers. Multiple large plasma screens will simulcast the Inaugural Concert live from Walt Disney Concert Hall. Watch under the stars with a picnic and friends as Dudamel takes the podium to lead the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Featured music will include Mahler's Symphony No. 1 and the world premiere of John Adams' "City Noir," which was commissioned by the orchestra.
