I nearly didn’t make it to the Addison Gallery of American Art on the lovely campus of the Phillips Academy in Andover, MA. As I was passing the outskirts of Boston, locking in bumper to bumper traffic with the temperature well into the nineties, all of a sudden a warning bell coming from my dashboard started ringing at ear piercing levels. That and a large warning light was flashing in front of me with a message that the oil pressure was low and the engine had been shut down.

#$%^&*%$^?!

Funny thing, although not at the moment, was that my car was still moving forward, same as everyone else locked in the scrum. Ok, no need to panic, that is not until the same light show and high decibel alert repeated itself two minutes later!  Better try to get over to the shoulder on the right side of the expressway. Only problem was I was in the middle of about four or five lanes, made even worse because cars were also merging on from a long access lane. I soon remembered why I hate driving around Boston … all those friendly and non-aggressive drivers!  After what seemed forever I finally was able get over to the shoulder and pull out the manual for my 2010 VW GTI.  Yeh, at fourteen years old and closing in on 180,000 miles I know it’s getting a little long in the tooth, but with a six speed manual transmission and lots of cargo space, it’s been a great road warrior and a friend. And besides, all the teenagers think I’m still cool when they see it!

After reading the manual and popping the hood to check the oil, all appeared to be as it should. I called my mechanic from my cell and he said as long as the oil level showing on the dipstick seemed to be ok than probably all was well. Yet, the prudent thing would have been to get off the road and find someone to take a look, but that’s not me. So I let things sit for a few minutes, then rejoined the traffic jam. Well, all’s well the end’s well and in about an hour I pulled up in front of the museum!  Spoiler alert … I did make it home without further incident and a couple of days later took my old buddy in for a scheduled oil change. Turns out it was down a half a quart. I hope it’s not a sign!

I had been to the Addison once before. It was as beautiful as I remembered it, and a must see if you are in the Boston area. I also had seen Frank’s work before, including a complete exhibit of The Americans. I also own a copy of his seminal book, so I was prepared for what I would be seeing … or so I thought.  I’d heard of Webb before, but to be honest, I wasn’t really familiar with his work. But viewing the two men’s work together made the Robert Frank and Todd Webb: Across America, 1955 show an unexpected surprise and a true revelation!

Both men traveled across America in 1955 for US survey projects made possible by Guggenheim fellowships, yet neither had any knowledge about the other’s work!  Webb did it by bike, boat and by foot, making over ten thousand photographs. Strangely his work was never published. Frank made a number of road trips, producing almost twenty eight thousand images, of which eighty three were selected for publication in what became The Americans.

The four gallery rooms contained one great picture after picture depicting people carrying on their daily lives, along with the buildings in which they lived, worked and socialized in. There were also roadside signage and other attractions and oddities seen along the way. While there were differences in their work, both photographers were attempting to refute the myth of 1950s America and show the inequalities that existed. Frank may have taken the ultimate photographic road trip across America just before everything changed forever with the Sixties. And perhaps Frank’s unvarnished view of America and American life may have been as significant as rock and roll, the counter culture and the rest of the fallout from the Viet Nam War in changing the way we looked at ourselves. Webb’s work, shows that what Frank captured was no fluke.

Seen together, Frank’s work seems to have more of an edge and a greater intensity to it. Webb’s work showing more humanity.  Seen interspersed together they capture a true sense of the time. In fact. you might think all the pictures were made by the same person who happened to occasionally change things up just a bit for a slight adjustment in point of view.

Almost all of the black and white photographs seemed to be about 11×14 in size, with a few being larger. Frank’s images were all silver gelatin prints. Webb’s were ink jet prints, made in 2023. Perhaps no original prints exist and for a show large digital printing makes things more convenient. I have no idea. Again, as was the case with the Fran Orlando show, the reproductions were first class. Yet another disappointment, but far outweighed by the opportunity to see Webb’s great work!

What a show! Needless to say I bought the book that accompanied it!  Unfortunately Robert Frank and Todd Webb: Across America, 1955 only runs to July 31^st at the Addison, so if you live nearby or are in the area I recommend getting there ASAP! I’m not sure what the show’s next stop is, but I see it will be about an hour’s drive from Doylestown at the Brandywine Museum of Art from February 9th – to May 4^th, 2025.

I’ll probably see it again!

Stay well,

Michael