Behind the Scenes: Across America

Wednesday, February 5, 2025 at 2 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) on Zoom 

Join us online for a lively presentation discussing the development of the exhibition “Robert Frank and Todd Webb: Across America, 1955."

This exhibition explores and compares two cross-country photography projects which captured many facets and individual oddities of American life in the mid-1950s. Lisa Volpe, Curator of Photography at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, curated this exhibition and will be sharing how this show came to fruition along with highlighting some of the objects on display.

In 1955, two photographers received fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation for U.S. survey projects: Robert Frank (1924-2019) and Todd Webb (1905-2000). Though the men had no knowledge of each other during the application process, both secured a recommendation from famed photographer Walker Evans, and both completed their cross-country surveys – though in radically different ways. Ultimately, comparing the work of these photographers reveals the complexity of their projects and the impossibility of capturing a singular vision of “America.”

The program will be held online via Zoom and the link to access the event will be sent to the email address during the pay-what-you-wish registration. Please double-check your spam/junk folder if you do not receive the confirmation email. If you encounter any difficulties in registering or accessing the Zoom link after registering, please email bgamberg@brandywine.org. The event will be recorded and shared if you are unable to attend live.