The Americans by Robert Frank
A Radical Shift in Street Photography
If Cartier-Bresson’s The Decisive Moment represents a refined and structured approach to street photography, The Americans by Robert Frank, published in 1958, is its raw, rebellious counterpart. With its grainy, unpolished aesthetic and unconventional framing, this book shattered the conventions of contemporary photography and rewrote the rules of visual storytelling.
A Journey Across America
In the mid-1950s, Robert Frank, a Swiss photographer, received a Guggenheim Fellowship to travel across the United States. Over two years, he covered 48 states and shot over 28,000 photographs, from which only 83 were ultimately selected for the book. His images painted an unfiltered portrait of post-war America—one that diverged sharply from the idealized version seen in mainstream media.
Unlike the polished compositions of Cartier-Bresson, Frank’s images felt spontaneous, sometimes chaotic, often unsettling. He embraced imperfections, using blur, tilted horizons, and deep shadows to create a raw and emotive narrative. This stylistic choice was initially met with resistance, as many critics found his portrayal of America too bleak, even subversive.
The Influence of Beat Culture
One of the lesser-known aspects of The Americans is its connection to the Beat Generation. The book’s first U.S. edition, published in 1959, featured an introduction by Jack Kerouac, whose free-spirited, stream-of-consciousness writing perfectly matched Frank’s spontaneous photographic style. Kerouac described Frank’s work as capturing “the humor, the sadness, the everything-ness and the nothing-ness” of America.
This connection to Beat literature helped solidify The Americans as more than just a photo book—it became a cultural statement, an outsider’s vision of a country in transition, caught between prosperity and underlying social tensions.
Why The Americans Was Initially Rejected
Unlike Cartier-Bresson’s work, which was widely praised upon release, The Americans faced heavy criticism at first. Many American publishers refused to print it, seeing Frank’s images as unpatriotic and overly critical. It was initially published in France by Robert Delpire, with an edition focusing more on sociological aspects than artistic vision. Only after gaining recognition in Europe did it find a publisher in the U.S., and even then, it took time before it was fully appreciated.
Why The Americans Matters Today
Looking back, The Americans is now considered one of the most influential photo books of all time. Its rawness and authenticity have inspired countless photographers, from Garry Winogrand to Daido Moriyama. Frank’s approach—using photography as a tool for personal expression rather than mere documentation—paved the way for modern street photography as we know it today.
If Cartier-Bresson taught us to wait for the perfect moment, Frank showed us that imperfection itself can tell a more powerful story.
Together, The Decisive Moment and The Americans represent two essential perspectives on street photography: one, a masterful orchestration of form and timing; the other, an unfiltered dive into the chaotic beauty of everyday life.
