Thanks to a note on the NY Times Lens blog, Finding Robert Frank, Online by Maurice Berger
for pointing me to the recently published US National Gallery of Art web pages on
The Robert Frank Collection which was put on-line in time for his 90th birthday in November.
Its an illustrated guide to their vast collection of his works, and you can see selected images and contact sheets and more. As well as the images available on line, the site enables you to search the collection, and you can then make an appointment to go to see the material you have selected at the The Robert Frank Collection, National Gallery of Art, Washington. Though it would be rather a long journey for me.
Frank’s work is perhaps best seen not on-line, nor at the NGA, nor in the Pace/MacGill Gallery, but in the pages of two books. Most important is of course ‘The Americans‘ (or ‘Les Americains’) , and though a copy of the original publication might set you back over £3,000 you can find a more recent (and possibly better) edition for around £20. But of course if you have any interest in photography you will already have a well-thumbed copy on your bookshelf.
You can also view the book on a video. It’s best to download the HD version and play it with a proper viewer like VLC Media Player. Mute the sound, put your mouse cursor over the time line and you are ready to look at it, page by page.