About the Artwork
In 1955, Swiss-born photographer Robert Frank traveled across the United States photographing how Americans live, work, and spend their leisure time. Detroit was a critical stop on his itinerary, as the Motor City was world renowned for its automobiles along with its factories and labor force. Frank spent several days in Detroit at its legendary Ford Motor Company Rouge Plant and visited dime-store lunch counters, drive-ins, and public parks as well. He may have found Stetson-wearing spectators at a local rodeo an unlikely and uncharacteristic subject for Detroit—a large, industrial, midwestern city. Nonetheless he included Rodeo – Detroit, in addition to eight other photographs taken in the city, as part of the 83 images found in his ground-breaking photo book The Americans from 1958. The book brought Frank great acclaim for his critical commentary on America during the boom years following World War II.
From Bulletin of the Detroit Institute of Arts 89 (2015)
Rodeo - Detroit
1955, printed 1960s
Robert Frank
1924 - 2019
American
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Gelatin silver print
Image: 6 1/2 × 9 7/8 inches (16.5 × 25.1 cm) Sheet: 8 × 10 inches (20.3 × 25.4 cm)
Photographs
Prints, Drawings & Photographs
Museum Purchase, Ernest and Rosemarie Kanzler Foundation Fund, Forum for Prints, Drawings, and Photographs Purchase Fund, and General Art Purchase Fund
2008.49
Non-commercial all standard museum
Markings
Signed, in black pen and ink, lower right: Robert Frank
Inscribed, in pencil, verso, upper right: RF.A.005.1 | 504.I
Provenance
until 2008, Robert Frank (New York, New York, USA);2009-present, purchase by the Detroit Institute of Arts (Detroit, Michigan, USA)
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The exhibition history of a number of objects in our collection only begins after their acquisition by the museum, and may reflect an incomplete record.
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Frank, Robert. Les Americains. Paris, 1958, p. 19 (ill.).
Frank, Robert. The Americans. New York, 1978, p. 21 (ill.).
Frank, Robert, The Americans. Gottingen, Germany, 2008 (plate 5).
Greenough, Sarah and Stuart Alexander. Looking In: Robert Frank's The Americans. Washington DC. 2009, p.215 (ill.).
Barr, Nancy. Detroit Experiences: Robert Frank Photographs. Exh. cat., DIA. Detroit, 2010, p. 3 (ill.).
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Credit Line for Reproduction
© The June Leaf and Robert Frank Foundation
Robert Frank, Rodeo - Detroit, 1955, printed 1960s, gelatin silver print. Detroit Institute of Arts, Museum Purchase, Ernest and Rosemarie Kanzler Foundation Fund, Forum for Prints, Drawings, and Photographs Purchase Fund, and General Art Purchase Fund, 2008.49.
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