Coney Island, 4th of July
Robert Frank
Photography
About this Brooklyn Icon
The Brooklyn Museum is commemorating its 200th anniversary by spotlighting 200 standout objects in its encyclopedic collection.
Capturing a boardwalk and amusement park at night, this photograph was taken on July 4, 1958, by Robert Frank. The documentary photographer and experimental filmmaker had immigrated to New York from his native Switzerland 10 years earlier. Poetic and unique, the image embodies the rare confluence of two icons: Frank and Coney Island. It is a true treasure.
This photograph was made soon after the publication of Frank’s first book—The Americans, one of the most influential photobooks of the 20th century—and at a turning point in his career, when he was moving toward filmmaking. It is part of his series of photographs showing people at the fair, as well as lovers, friends, families, and loners sleeping on the beach. Dark and melancholy, this scene contrasts with more festive representations of Coney Island and July Fourth celebrations, offering a bleaker vision of postwar America. It is distinctive of Frank’s style: a subjective, almost diaristic form of documentary that was quite radical for its time.
The Brooklyn Museum is commemorating its 200th anniversary by spotlighting 200 standout objects in its encyclopedic collection.
Capturing a boardwalk and amusement park at night, this photograph was taken on July 4, 1958, by Robert Frank. The documentary photographer and experimental filmmaker had immigrated to New York from his native Switzerland 10 years earlier. Poetic and unique, the image embodies the rare confluence of two icons: Frank and Coney Island. It is a true treasure.
This photograph was made soon after the publication of Frank’s first book—The Americans, one of the most influential photobooks of the 20th century—and at a turning point in his career, when he was moving toward filmmaking. It is part of his series of photographs showing people at the fair, as well as lovers, friends, families, and loners sleeping on the beach. Dark and melancholy, this scene contrasts with more festive representations of Coney Island and July Fourth celebrations, offering a bleaker vision of postwar America. It is distinctive of Frank’s style: a subjective, almost diaristic form of documentary that was quite radical for its time.
PORTFOLIO/SERIES
Coney Island Series
MEDIUM
Gelatin silver print
DATES
1958
DIMENSIONS
image: 18 1/4 × 12 1/4 in. (46.4 × 31.1 cm)
sheet: 19 3/4 × 15 7/8 in. (50.2 × 40.3 cm) (show scale)
SIGNATURE
No signature
INSCRIPTIONS
No inscriptions
COLLECTIONS
Photography
ACCESSION NUMBER
2024.28.20
CREDIT LINE
Gift of The June Leaf and Robert Frank Foundation, in honor of the Brooklyn Museum’s 200th Anniversary
PROVENANCE
2019, bequeathed by the artist to the June Leaf and Robert Frank Foundation; May 30, 2024, gift of the June Leaf and Robert Frank Foundation to the Brooklyn Museum.
Provenance FAQ
MUSEUM LOCATION
This item is not on view
CAPTION
Robert Frank (American, born Switzerland, 1924–2019). Coney Island, 4th of July, 1958. Gelatin silver print, image: 18 1/4 × 12 1/4 in. (46.4 × 31.1 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of The June Leaf and Robert Frank Foundation, in honor of the Brooklyn Museum’s 200th Anniversary, 2024.28.20. © artist or artist's estate (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 2024.28.20_PS20.jpg)
IMAGE
overall, 2024.28.20_PS20.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2024
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RIGHTS STATEMENT
© The June Leaf and Robert Frank Foundation
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