National Gallery of Art

Throughout his career, but especially for his large photographic projects in the 1950s, Frank closely examined his contact sheets as he decided which frames to print and ultimately publish and exhibit. His contact sheets reveal both his photographic technique and his working method.

After printing his contact sheets, Frank used black and colored inks to write notes and indicate preferences. Often, several frames on a sheet are circled or otherwise indicated, but they may not have eventually been printed.

At times, Frank was able to look beyond an improperly developed contact print to identify what would become a beautiful and rich exhibition quality print.

Frank's contact sheets can be fascinating for what they reveal about his interaction with his subjects. They often show the photographer moving closer or further from the subject, and they can reveal a whole sequence of action where the individual print only shows a distinct moment.

Frank numbered more than 700 contact sheets from the Guggenheim trip. The contact sheet that includes his iconic Trolley, New Orleans, shows that Frank was examining the crowded streets of the city, captured a friezelike image that would become Americans 19, then turned and, in a brilliant one-off shot, produced the picture of a New Orleans trolley rife with humanity that would be Americans 18.

While the premise of Frank's From the Bus series implies that Frank caught only passing glimpses of his subjects, we see on the associated contact sheets that he in fact examined them quite closely. At times, he shot multiple frames so close in perspective that they are difficult to decipher from one another.