Election day--Switzerland 6
1949
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View on museum website →Medium
contact sheet
Dimensions
overall: 23.8 x 29.9 cm (9 3/8 x 11 3/4 in.)
Classification
Photograph
Department
CPH
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Robert Frank Collection, Gift of Robert Frank
Accession Number
1990.28.1439
Art Historical Context
**Election Day—Switzerland 6** by Robert Frank captures a pivotal moment in Swiss democracy on election day in 1949. Born in Zurich in 1924, Frank was a photographer documenting everyday life in his homeland just two years before emigrating to the United States This intimate view reflects post-World War II Switzerland—a neutral nation rebuilding amid global tensions—highlighting communal participation through candid scenes of voters and bustling streets. Frank's early work here foreshadows his signature style of raw, unposed observation. As a contact sheet, this 23.8 x 29.9 cm gelatin silver ...
About the Artist
Robert Frank
Robert Frank (1924-2019) was a Swiss-American photographer and documentary filmmaker whose revolutionary approach to documentary photography fundamentally transformed the medium and influenced generations of artists. Born in Zurich, Switzerland, on November 9, 1924, to a middle-class Jewish family, Frank began his photographic apprenticeship in 1941, working with commercial photographers before im...