Robert Frank

signed and dated 'early 1947' in ink, and with the photographer's copyright stamp, with credit and date in ink, and his 'Robert Frank Archive' stamp, with number '338' in pencil, on the reverse, 1947

Lunn Gallery/Graphics International Ltd., Washington, D. C., 1979

This early print, on double-weight paper with a very slight sheen, is in generally very good condition. The print is trimmed to the image, and the edges are somewhat rubbed. The corners are slightly bumped. There are two 2-inch creases in the upper right and lower left corners. This is not immediately apparent because of the patterns of the roof tiles in the image. There is light soiling on the reverse of the print. When examined with ultraviolet light, this print does not appear to fluoresce.
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.

While much of the study of Robert Frank’s career emphasizes images from The Americans, Frank produced an accomplished body of work prior to that, illustrated by a number of photographs in the Reiher Collection.  Frank embarked upon his career in photography in 1940, with a series of apprenticeships in professional studios in Zurich and Geneva.  This training gave him a solid basis in technique, and he went on to photograph extensively in his native Switzerland and, in the later 1940s, in Italy, Paris, South America, and New York. 

Even in these early years, Frank’s approach to photography could not be easily labeled.  While his initial work was in the photojournalistic vein, Frank quickly developed his own personal style that at times incorporated a poetic sensibility, or, as in the images offered as Lots 124 and 125, employed more rigorously formal compositional strategies.  In 1949, the editor Walter Läubli published a selection of Frank’s European and American images in Camera magazine, and described the young photographer as one who ‘out of a desire to experience life has gone out into the world and jumped into life with his camera’ (quoted in Robert Frank: Moving Out, p. 48).