Description
Book Synopsis: Robert Frank's and Todd Webb's parallel 1955 projects to photograph America are considered in the context of mid-twentieth-century American culture.
In 1955 two photographers were awarded grants from the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation to embark on trips across the United States. Robert Frank (1924–2019) drove coast to coast, photographing the highways, bars, and people that formed the basis for his widely admired publication The Americans (1958). Todd Webb (1905–2000) walked across the country, searching for “vanishing Americana and what is taking its place.”
Unaware of each other’s work, the photographers produced strikingly similar images of the highway, parades, and dim, smoky barrooms. Yet while Frank’s grainy, off-kilter style revealed many inequities of American life, Webb’s carefully composed images embraced clear detail and celebrated the individual oddities of Americans and their locales.
This revelatory book is the first to publish Webb’s 1955 photographs and connects these parallel projects for the first time. More than one hundred images accompany text illuminating Frank’s and Webb’s different perspectives and approaches to similar subjects and places; the difference in reception of Frank’s iconic work and Webb’s relatively unknown series; and the place of the road trip in shaping American identity at midcentury.
Published in association with the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
Exhibition Schedule:
- Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (October 8, 2023–January 7, 2024)
- Addison Gallery of American Art, Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts (February 10–July 30, 2024)
- Brandywine Museum of Art, Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania (February 8–May 4, 2025)
Details
Experience a captivating journey through mid-twentieth-century America with "America and Other Myths: Photographs by Robert Frank and Todd Webb, 1955." This extraordinary book brings together the parallel projects of two renowned photographers, Robert Frank and Todd Webb, who embarked on separate trips across the United States in 1955. Their powerful images, captured in striking detail, offer a unique glimpse into the heart of American culture during this pivotal era.
As you dive into the pages of this revelatory book, you will be transported to a time when highways, bars, and everyday people served as the inspiration for Frank's iconic publication, "The Americans," and Webb's search for the vanishing Americana and the emergence of something new. Uncover the contrasts in their photography styles – Frank's gritty, off-kilter aesthetic juxtaposed with Webb's meticulously composed images that celebrate the peculiar beauty of Americans and their surroundings.
Featuring over one hundred captivating photographs, "America and Other Myths" sheds light on the difference in reception that Frank and Webb experienced during their respective careers. While Frank's work gained widespread acclaim, Webb's remarkable series remained relatively unknown. Delve into the significance of their road trips in shaping American identity at a critical time in history.
Published in collaboration with the esteemed Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, this book is a must-have for any photography enthusiast, art lover, or history buff. Immerse yourself in the rich tapestry of mid-twentieth-century America, told through the lens of two extraordinary photographers.
Don't miss your chance to own this seminal work that connects parallel projects and illuminates the complexities and beauty of America at its core. Order your copy of "America and Other Myths: Photographs by Robert Frank and Todd Webb, 1955" today and embark on a visual journey that will leave you captivated.
Order now to secure your copy and be part of the impactful exhibition taking place at renowned museums across the country!
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