Mombasa and Nairobi--Africa 2
1964
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View on museum website →Medium
contact sheet
Dimensions
overall: 25.2 x 20.2 cm (9 15/16 x 7 15/16 in.)
Classification
Photograph
Department
CPH
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Robert Frank Collection, Gift of Robert Frank
Accession Number
1990.28.3380
Art Historical Context
Robert Frank's *Mombasa and NairobiAfrica 2* (1964) offers a rare glimpse into the Swiss-born photographer's exploratory work beyond his iconic American road trips. Best known for his groundbreaking 1958 book *The Americans*, revolutionized documentary photography with its raw, unflinching portrayal of mid-century U.S. life, Frank to East Africa during this period. This contact sheet captures multiple frames from his travels in Mombasa Nairobi, revealing the spontaneity of his street photography style—candid snapshots that blend personal observation with cultural encounter. Printed as a conta...
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...