Looking In: Robert Frank's The Americans: Expanded Edition

I was lucky enough to be given a copy of The Americans as a birthday present in 1960 and it's always been one of my favorite photo books. Now, with this huge book, the original becomes even more fascinating and intriguing.To be able to see Robert Frank's application to the Guggenheim, letters to Walker Evans and Jack Kerouac, a map and itinerary for the photo journey across America and his original working sequence of prints for the book put the eighty-three photos in perspective. Sarah Greenhough's four essays (she is one of the seven contributors) puts him in the context of the Cold War and consumer culture times and I thought her essay about the opposition to The Americans particularly interesting (the Family of Man exhibition had a lot to answer for, though Frank had seven photos in it).She also writes about various editions and the different printing techniques that were used. This turns out to be rather important because the viewer's perception of the photos can vary according to what copy they see. The original French and Grove Press editions were printed gravure and many of the photos were tightly cropped so that they were perceived as hard-edge images of America. Later editions, from Aperture (two) Pantheon, Scalo and Steidl sometimes used larger photos with less severe cropping. All of this is revealed in the back of the book with thumbnails of the original photos with repeats to show how the various editions presented their versions. The reality is that black and white prints cannot adequately be printed in one black pass through a press, to do it properly they have to be duotones or tritones. The Americans in this book look stunning as they are printed as tritones (probably from the same plates that Steidl used for a re-issue of The Americans in 2008).The cherry on the cake for me with this book are the eighty-three pages of contact prints (done as duotones) with Frank's selection pulled out in the red grease crayon he used. How extraordinary to see alternate versions of photos that I've looked at over and over in the original book and to see more than 2500 negatives that he took in his travels.Looking In is a remarkable (and beautifully produced) book that really does cover everything you'll need to know about a publishing event more than five decades ago.BTW there is a paperback edition that does NOT include the contact prints, sequence and subsequent editions cropping pages, or the correspondence and archive material. It is 144 pages fewer than this expanded edition. You can look inside the book at Westread Book Reviews then click 2021 and December.

Hi,I just bought this book on October 6, 2015 through Amazon. It had been "out of print" or just plain unavailable for a long time. I had hesitated to buy it initially as I read some less than glowing reviews claiming it "ruined The Americans". I'm hear to tell you that is patently untrue!First off it is not "The Americans" but a history of "The Americans". "The Americans" is included and while a bit different flavor than the stand alone version it is 100% acceptable;e and anyone new to "The Americans" would not be short changed in the least.The book itself It clocks in at over 500 pages! I was stunned when I opened the box, I was not expecting that much as I did not pay too much attention to the particulars. There is another review here with photos go the book that shows the depth of the study.In my humble estimation "The Americans" is one of the most important photography books ever published, oh heck it IS the most important and influential photography book published and sets the standard. The volume furthers the legend and is absolutely mandatory for anyone interested in photography, art, American history etc..."Looking In" places "The Americans" in context. I often view "The Americans" as an historical document of the time and it in fact is but it is also about Robert Frank and his journey and intentions, his vision.I'm gonna stop here as I am not doing justice to this book. If you are not sure about this book I suggest you quit thinking and quickly buy it as I imagine it will disappear again soon.

By consensus Frank's The Americans is perhaps the most important photo book of the last half century even though those who don't have a clear sense of what was available before and after may not fully understand why. Indeed, his style (in its most generic sense) has become so mainstream or at least popular that his book seems quite tame, almost banal. Looking In (and the exhibit it references) is essential for understanding the context and influence of the Frank book. In the first instance it makes clear why so many of the photos in the Frank book are important and ultimately unsettling. There are lucid discussions of his choices in making, developing, and presenting the photos. It also provides a nice set of essays tracing Frank's career and the various journeys he took while making the photos. Essays on the folks who influenced him (especially Walker Evans) are quite illuminating. The volume also contains many of the pictures he took before The Americans, a bonus, as well as all those in The Americans. Thus for those who do not own the original book,this volume contains the original at relatively little extra cost (maybe $10) (but in a much larger and heavier format). The hardcover edition contains some extra material, mostly as I recall contact prints which allow comparisons of versions chosen for the book with similar ones not. For my purposes the paperback version contains the essential material and is much cheaper. The actual exhibit (which I saw in San Francisco and is now in NYC) did a nice job of explaining the sequencing of the photos (Frank was obsessed with this) and providing some insights into why certain photos are important. The exhibit notes were more focused that those in Looking In and I found the exhibit notes more helpful. However, bottom line is that this is essential reading (and looking) for anyone with more than a passing interest in modern photography, especially those who cannot see the exhibit.

As I said, a huge and heavy book, beautifully printed and presented. For anyone interested in Robert Frank's 'The Americans' it is a must read. To be fair I have only just stared to read it but the information in it is endless, there are lots of previously unseen photos and information about him and his project.I always thought that doing such a photo road trip as his would be easy just drive, stop here and there and take photos as you go, not a bit of it, i tried it once and it is hard work. Had I read this first I would have realised it. Do buy it. When I have read the whole thing I will add to this review.

This really is the best, I wasnt even that much of a fan of Robert Frank but after looking at the big images, the story of each picture, critic reviews and the story of how he became a photographermake this book so interesting and really really Inspired me.some of the stories in this are way way too bias in the favour of robert frank being some sort of God of photography, but what do you expect.I advise anyone to buy this, especially photographers, it may just change your life, or at the very least, keep your interest in the great pictures.

Another seminal text book about Robert Frank's famous journey across America. Raw, full of unspoken themes, at first glance Frank's major works seem haphazard; yet look more closely and you will see what he was attempting to portray. Essential reading!

I've still not finished reading it. It really is immense and fantastic value for such a highly respected and intriguing view into America.

Get the hardback version of this excellent book. For a few pounds more it includes fascinating extra material, including reproduction of contact sheets. A fantastic resource for anyone interested in this seminal work.