Death of photographer Robert Frank
On 9 September 2019, the Swiss-born, naturalised American photographer Robert Frank passed away in Inverness (Canada), at the age of 94.
Robert Frank, author of The Americans
Robert Frank revolutionised post-war photography with a landmark book, The Americans.
Born in Zurich (Switzerland) on 9 November 1924, Robert Frank grew up in comfortable surroundings. He discovered photography at 12 and in 1941 began an apprenticeship with Hermann Segesser. After the Second World War, he emigrated to New York and worked in the studios of Harper's Bazaar magazine.
In 1955, Robert Frank set out with his family on a decisive journey. Thanks to a Guggenheim Foundation grant, he photographed American society for 2 years.
What matters is seeing what is invisible to others.
Robert Frank
From this journey, he published a book of 83 photographs, a monument of modern photography: The Americans.
After publishing The Americans, Robert Frank set aside his Leica for several years to devote himself to film.
He returned to photography in 1972.
Since 1972, in the downtime left to me by my films or film projects, I take photographs. In black or in colour. Sometimes I combine several images into one. I speak of my hopes, my scant hope, my joys. When I can, I add a touch of humour. I destroy what is descriptive in the photos to show how I am. When the negatives aren't yet fixed, I scratch words into them: soup, strength, blind trust… I try to be honest.
Robert Frank
He passed away at the age of 94 in Inverness (on Cape Breton Island, where he had lived since 1971).