Call Number:

PH-02904

Collection Name:

The Americans: 81 Contact Sheets

Creator:

No. of Items:

81 items in 1 portfolio

Span Dates:

2009

Description:

Limited edition portfolio by Robert Frank (American, born Switzerland, 1924-2019), entitled The Americans: 81 Contact Sheets (Tokyo: Yugensha / Kazuhiko Motomura, 2009). The portfolio consists of 81 lithographs (2017:0013:0001-0081) and a pamphlet that are laid into cardboard case and housed in a wooden box. The Ransom Center's copy of the portfolio is number 82 of an edition of 300 numbered copies (80 copies issued in folding board boxes, 220 copies issued in paulownia wood boxes). Detailed descriptions of part of the portfolio follow.

The lithographs, which measure 51.4 x 42 cm (20 1/4 x 16 9/16 inches) are enlarged reproductions of Frank's original contact sheets used during the production of The Americans (1957). They are wrapped in Japanese paper, made by Echigo Kadoide Washi, onto which is adhered a black paper star. An item-level spreadsheet for the lithographs is available upon request.

The pamphlet, which measures 41.9 x 25.7 cm (16 1/2 x 10 1/8 inches), is printed in Japanese and English and consists of 24 unnumbered pages of Frank's photographs from The Americans, accompanied by descriptive quotes taken from interviews with Frank by Shino Kuraishi that took place in New York in 2006 and 2007.

The lithographs and pamphlet are enclosed in a folding silver cardboard case that measures 53.3 x 43.3 x 3 cm (21 x 17 1/16 x 1 3/16 inches) and has "R F" and "THE AMERICANS 81 Contact Sheets" debossed on it.

The case is enclosed in a paulownia wood box, which measures 62 x 52.5 x 5 cm (24 7/16 x 20 11/16 x 1/2 inches), made by Shigeno Tansu-Ten Inc. The lid has "Robert Frank" debossed on it. The wood box is housed in a black cardboard box, which measures 65 x 55.5 x 5.5 cm (25 9/16 x 21 7/8 x 2 3/16 inches), labeled on one side with the edition number.

Access Restrictions:

Advance notice and curatorial approval are required to request this item until it is housed and cataloged. To make an appointment, please contact the Curator of Photography.

Accession No(s):

Robert Frank: The Americans, 81 Contact Sheets

Location(s):

Curatorial permission required (2017:0013:0001-0081)
Click here to request this item from the reading room

See Also:

Susan E. Cohen and William S. Johnson Creativity Project Papers and Photography Collection: Additional works by Frank can be found in the Susan E. Cohen and William S. Johnson Creativity Project Papers and Photography Collection (PH-02666).

The Ransom Center library holds several editions of the The Americans that can be found by searching the library catalog.