Robert Frank is one of the most important photographers to have emerged since World War II. In the early 1950s he pioneered an original and sophisticated way of looking at the world that has dominated the art of photography for many years. It was not simply the raw style of his work that made Frank so controversial. Nor was it only his subjects - gas stations, roadside cafes or cars - which he explored in his highly influential book The Americans. Rather it was the combination of all these things, plus Frank's ability to express the loneliness and isolation so characteristic of our age. His powerful images have profoundly influenced successive generations of photographers, painters, film makers, critics and writers. In five specially commisioned essays, scholars draw upon the National Gallery of Art's archive of Frank's vintage prints, negatives, contact sheets, and work prints to provide a comprehensive examination of his landmark contribution to the art of photography and film.