Robert Frank

signed in the margin, framed, 1955, probably printed in the 1970s

Pace/MacGill, New York, 1987

The Americans, cover and p. 45; Looking In, pp. 6-7, 232, 466, and Contact #18/19; Robert Frank, p. 95; Moving Out, p. 196; An Essay on Influence, p. 41; Walker Evans & Company, pl. 137; Cruel and Tender, p. 109; On the Art of Fixing a Shadow, p. 357; Documentary Photography, p. 167

This print, on double-weight Agfa paper with a surface sheen, is in generally excellent condition. The corners are lightly bumped. On the reverse, there is an annotation, 'RFA-018.6,' in an unidentified hand in pencil. At the top edge, there are two 2-inch remnants of cloth tape on the verso, likely from old hinges.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The full catalogue information for this lot is as follows:

signed by the photographer in ink in the margin, annotated in an unidentified hand in pencil on the reverse, matted, framed, 1955, probably printed in the 1970s

Robert Frank describes photographing the trolley in Documentary Photography,

'A streetcar goes by on a main street, maybe Bourbon Street, in New Orleans, and there are people looking out at something.  I wasn't thinking about segregation when I shot it.  But I did feel that the black people [in the back of the bus] were more dignified' (p. 167).