Robert Frank

signed in ink in the margin, numerical notations in pencil on the reverse, framed, Bloom Collection and Pace Wildenstein MacGill labels on the reverse, 1956, printed later

Pace/MacGill Gallery, New York, 1997

The Americans, no. 34

Sarah Greenough, Looking In: Robert Frank's The Americans, pp. 250 and 470, and Contact no. 34

Willy Rotzler, ‘Der Photograph Robert Frank,’ Du, January 1962, p. 15

Sue Davis, Ainslie Ellis, et al., Concerning Photography: Some Thoughts About Reading Photographs, pl. 79

Tod Papageorge, Walker Evans and Robert Frank: An Essay on Influence, p. 45

Sarah Greenough and Philip Brookman, Robert Frank: Moving Out, p. 187

Tom E. Hinson, The Cleveland Museum: Catalogue of Photography, p. 167

Peter Galassi, Walker Evans & Company, pl. 102

Peter Galassi, Robert Frank: In America, p. 156

David Campany, The Open Road: Photography & The American Road Trip, p. 26

This luminous print shows the full negative, with the black edges visible along three sides and the sprocket holes visible along the lower edge. A high level of detail is visible, from the satiny cloth car covering to the texture of the palm fronds. It is on double-weight paper with a surface sheen, and is in generally excellent condition. Frank's signature in the margin extends slightly into the image. On the reverse of the print, 'R. F. A. OI. 034. 18' is written in an unidentified hand in pencil.
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.

This photograph is one of the most frequently reproduced images in The Americans.  With its strong graphic qualities and slightly surreal account of its subject, it works masterfully as a stand-alone image.  But within Frank’s meticulous sequence in The Americans it serves a vital role in one of the most cinematic passages in the book. Consisting of six pictures, this passage begins with a gambler rolling dice in a Nevada casino (Lot 48). The next picture, U. S. 91, Leaving Blackfoot (Lot 30), shows two men in the front seat of a car facing right. The third, St. Petersburg, Florida (Lot 49), portrays elderly people seated on a bench, a car in the background racing from left to right.  This is followed by Covered Car, whose composition is echoed in the subsequent picture of car accident victims on the roadside covered by a blanket (Lot 60).  The sequence concludes with a vertical picture of the road heading straight ahead, U. S. 285, New Mexico (Lot 1), which functions like a cinematic cut between scenes.