If you're a fan of photography or history, mark your calendar for February 9 through May 11, 2025, when the Brandywine Museum of Art will host an extraordinary exhibition, Robert Frank & Todd Webb: Across America, 1955. This special showcase brings together over 100 striking black-and-white photographs, presenting two iconic artists' unique interpretations of mid-century America. As the final stop on this traveling exhibition’s journey, the Brandywine offers the perfect setting to explore these compelling works.
In 1955, both Robert Frank and Todd Webb received prestigious Guggenheim Fellowships to document America through their cameras. While their shared goal was to capture the essence of the United States, their approaches and results were profoundly different. This exhibition, organized by The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH), juxtaposes their perspectives for the very first time, offering an unparalleled look at the contrasts and commonalities in their work.
Robert Frank and Todd Webb: Across America, 1955
- Feb 16, 2025 - May 11, 2025
Swiss-born photographer Robert Frank (1924–2019) embarked on his journey with an eye for movement, emotion, and social critique. Often shooting from the hip or the window of his car, Frank’s grainy, off-kilter images confronted America’s economic inequalities and social divisions. Yet, within this critique, Frank found moments of grace and dignity that became central to his celebrated 1958 book, The Americans. This exhibition includes both iconic and previously unpublished works from Frank’s journey, revealing the depth of his groundbreaking vision.
In contrast, Todd Webb (1905–2000) approached his project with a methodical and measured style, reflecting his curiosity and compassion for everyday American life. Traveling by foot, bike, and boat, Webb captured quiet, carefully composed images of small-town America, often tinged with humor. His photographs highlight the disappearing charms of mid-century Americana and the empty promises of consumerism. Many of Webb’s images from this journey are being exhibited for the first time, offering a rare glimpse into his underappreciated artistry.
While Frank and Webb’s styles diverged dramatically, their journeys intersected in surprising ways. Both artists photographed quintessential elements of American life, including bars, parades, roadside attractions, and small-town streets. By placing their works side by side, this exhibition highlights how their different approaches captured similar themes, revealing the complexities and contradictions of the American experience.
Brandywine Museum of Art
- 1 Hoffman's Mill Rd.
Discover an outstanding collection of American art housed in a 19th-century mill with a dramatic steel and glass addition overlooking the banks of the Brandywine River. Renowned for its holdings of…
The exhibition is accompanied by the illustrated catalog, America and Other Myths: Photographs by Robert Frank and Todd Webb, 1955, which includes essays and the first-ever publication of Webb’s 1955 photographs alongside Frank’s renowned images.
The Brandywine Museum of Art is known for its exceptional collection of American art and its picturesque setting along the Brandywine Creek. In addition to exploring this fascinating exhibition, visitors can enjoy guided tours of the Andrew Wyeth Studio, N.C. Wyeth House & Studio, and Kuerner Farm—National Historic Landmarks that further immerse you in the area’s rich artistic and cultural heritage.