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Fogg Art Museum Scrapbooks, February 1978-October 1982

ARCH.2003.37, Rendition: 808668

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The image depicts an open book, with the left page partially visible, showing a grid with labeled sections (A through H). The right page contains an article titled "PRESENT INDICATIVE" from the publication "HORIZON," dated May 1978. The article discusses the Swiss-born photographer Robert Frank, focusing on his work "The Americans," a collection of black-and-white photographs he took during a trip across the United States in the mid-1950s. The article mentions the Fogg Art Museum in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which is presenting a retrospective of Frank's work, including selections from "The Americans" and "The Lines of My Hand."

The article also briefly mentions Frank's transition from photography to film, noting that he has made nine movies since 1959, with a focus on conveying a sense of surrealism in his environments. It references his films "Conversations in Vermont" (1969) and "Keep Busy" (1975).

Additionally, the article touches on the quality of life in Portland, Oregon, highlighting the city's bus mall project. It describes the mall's design and features, including stylized pictographs for bus routes and computerized scheduling systems in the bus shelters and trip-planning kiosks.

Two black-and-white photographs accompany the article. The top photograph shows a brick wall with an American flag and a window with a person inside, labeled "On the road with Robert Frank: Hoboken, New Jersey, 1955 (from The Americans)." The bottom photograph depicts a purple raindrop sign guiding Portland bus riders, labeled "A purple raindrop sign (left) guides Portland bus riders."

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This image is of a printed page from a magazine or publication titled "HORIZON," dated May 1978, and it appears to be pasted into an archival folder or document. The page is titled "PRESENT INDICATIVE" and contains text and photographs related to the Swiss-born photographer Robert Frank and his work.

The text discusses Robert Frank's book "The Americans," a collection of black-and-white images from a trip across the United States in the mid-1950s. It mentions an exhibition at the Fogg Art Museum in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which displays 75 works by Frank, including selections from "The Americans" and his 1972 book "The Lines of My Hand," as well as screenings of his 1975 film "Keep Busy."

There are two photographs on the page:

  1. The first photograph is titled "On the road with Robert Frank: Hoboken, New Jersey, 1955 (from The Americans)." It shows a brick wall with an American flag and a bird flying in the background.
  2. The second photograph is titled "A purple raindrop sign (left) guides Portland bus riders." It shows a purple raindrop sign.

The page also contains a section titled "IN TRANSIT," which discusses the public transit system in Portland, Oregon, and the efforts to encourage motorists to use public transit instead of driving.

The page is placed on a yellow background, likely a folder or binder, and the left side of the image shows the edge of another document with alphabetical tabs labeled A through H.

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This image shows a page from a scrapbook or archival binder, open to display a newspaper clipping from the May 1978 issue of Horizon magazine. The clipping is titled “PRESENT INDICATIVE” and features two articles with accompanying black-and-white photographs.

The page is mounted on a cream-colored sheet, which is part of a larger binder. To the left, visible on the binder’s spine or tabbed edge, is handwritten text: “April 2003”, suggesting when this clipping was filed. Below this, the spine is marked with lettered tabs (A–H), likely for organizational categorization.


Article 1: “DOWNBEAT”

This section focuses on the Swiss-born photographer Robert Frank, best known for his influential photobook The Americans. The article discusses:

  • The Fogg Art Museum in Cambridge, Massachusetts, hosting Frank’s first U.S. retrospective in 1978, presenting 75 works.
  • The inclusion of images from The Americans and from his 1972 book The Lines of My Hand.
  • Frank’s transition to filmmaking, including his 1969 autobiographical film Conversations in Vermont, and his 1975 film Pull My Daisy.
  • His more recent film Keep Busy, which explores the emotional detachment of a father from his children.

Accompanying photo: A black-and-white image captioned “On the road with Robert Frank: Hoboken, New Jersey, 1955 (from The Americans)”. It depicts a gritty urban scene with a large American flag draped over a structure, a car, and a person visible in a doorway — conveying a sense of American urban life as captured by Frank.


Article 2: “IN TRANSIT”

This piece profiles Portland, Oregon’s innovative bus transit system, designed to encourage public transportation and reduce car use.

Key points:

  • Portland’s new 23-block transit mall is part of a government-sponsored study that declared Portland had the “highest ‘quality of life’ of any city in the United States.”
  • The system includes stylized pictographs identifying bus routes (e.g., purple raindrops for northbound, brown beaver for eastbound).
  • Riders access information via touch-screen kiosks with “computerized routing systems.”
  • The mall features outdoor amenities like fountains, sculpture, and tree-shaded avenues.

Accompanying photo: A black-and-white overhead shot captioned “A purple raindrop sign (left) guides Portland bus riders.” It shows a large, stylized purple raindrop sign (a design element for northbound buses) mounted over a bus stop or transit area, with urban structures around it.


Overall Impression:

The clipping is a cultural snapshot from 1978, juxtaposing the gritty poetic realism of Robert Frank’s photography and film with the forward-thinking urban design of Portland’s transit system. Together, they reflect mid-1970s American culture — both artistically and infrastructurally — and offer a window into how these subjects were presented in a prestigious cultural magazine like Horizon.

The scrapbook format, with its 2003 filing date, suggests this clipping was curated for personal or professional research, preserving cultural commentary from that era.

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The image depicts a magazine spread with an article titled "Present Indicative." The spread is part of a magazine that is opened to page 58. The article is divided into two main sections: "Downbeat" and "In Transit."

The "Downbeat" section features a photograph of Robert Frank, a Swiss-born photographer known for his book "The Americans," which is a collection of black-and-white images taken during a trip across the United States in the mid-1950s. The article mentions that the Fogg Art Museum in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is displaying 75 works from "The Americans" and "Lines of My Hand," another book by Frank. The article also includes a quote from Frank about his experiences and the essence of his work.

The "In Transit" section discusses the development of the Tri-Met transit system in Portland, Oregon. It highlights the improvements made to the city's bus system, including the introduction of a computer-controlled scheduling system, the use of stylized pictographs for bus routes, and the installation of "rip-planning" kiosks that provide real-time information to passengers. The article emphasizes the efforts to enhance the quality of life in Portland through better public transportation.

The magazine spread also includes a photograph of a purple raindrop sign, which is used to guide Portland bus riders. The spread is neatly arranged with text and images that complement each other, providing a comprehensive look at the topics discussed.

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The image is a spread from a magazine or newspaper, featuring a mix of text and photographs. The spread includes an article titled "PRESENT INDICATIVE" and is divided into two sections. The left section has a black-and-white photograph of a man in a suit, possibly Robert Frank, with a caption that reads "A purple raindrop sign (left) guides Portland bus riders." The right section contains a black-and-white photograph of an American flag, with a caption that reads "On the road with Robert Frank, Hoboken, New Jersey, 1935." The text discusses Robert Frank's photography and his influence on American culture.

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The image depicts an open book with a page titled "PRESENT INDICATIVE". The page appears to be from a magazine or publication, likely from the 1970s, as indicated by the date "MAY 1978" at the bottom of the page. The content is an article discussing various topics, including photography, urban transit, and cultural commentary.

Key Elements in the Image:

  1. Title and Layout:

    • The page is titled "PRESENT INDICATIVE", suggesting a thematic focus on current or contemporary issues.
    • The layout is typical of a magazine, with a mix of text, photographs, and captions.
  2. Text Content:

    • The article is divided into several sections, each with its own subheading:
      • "DOWNBEAT": Discusses Robert Frank, a Swiss-born photographer known for his work The Americans. The text highlights Frank's influence on photography and his approach to capturing everyday life.
      • "IN TRANSIT": Focuses on urban transit systems, specifically mentioning Portland, Oregon, and its innovative bus system. The article discusses the city's efforts to encourage home ownership and reduce automobile dependency.
    • The text is written in a journalistic style, with references to specific events, locations, and individuals.
  3. Photographs and Captions:

    • Top Right Photograph: Shows a person standing in front of an American flag, with the caption: "On the road with Robert Frank: Hoboken, New Jersey, 1955 (from The Americans)". This photograph is part of Frank's iconic work The Americans.
    • Bottom Left Photograph: Depicts a purple rainproof sign with the text "A purple rainproof sign (left) guides Portland bus riders." This image illustrates the article’s discussion of Portland’s transit system.
  4. Page Markings:

    • The left margin of the book includes vertical columns labeled A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, likely used for indexing or referencing purposes. These markings suggest the book may be part of an archive or collection.
  5. Design and Typography:

    • The typography is clean and professional, typical of mid-20th-century publishing.
    • The photographs are placed strategically to complement the text, enhancing the visual storytelling.

Overall Context:

The page combines artistic commentary (on Robert Frank’s photography) with a discussion of urban planning and transit systems (focusing on Portland, Oregon). The layout and design suggest it is part of a curated collection or archive, possibly from a design or photography-focused publication. The inclusion of both textual analysis and visual elements indicates a multidisciplinary approach to exploring contemporary themes.

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The image depicts a newspaper clipping with the title "PRESENT INDICATIVE" in bold, black font at the top. The clipping is presented on a sheet of paper, accompanied by a column of letters on the left side, which appears to be a key for identifying the sections of the newspaper.

The clipping itself features two photographs and a body of text that discusses the work of photographer Robert Frank. The text is divided into three paragraphs, each discussing a different aspect of Frank's work. The first paragraph focuses on his book "The Americans," which was published in 1958 and features 83 photographs taken during a road trip across the United States. The second paragraph discusses Frank's use of laboratory-processed pictures and his ability to lay them on large boards so that they can be "read" sequentially. The third paragraph highlights Frank's work in transit, specifically his photographs of people riding public transportation.

Overall, the image provides a glimpse into the work of Robert Frank and his contributions to the world of photography.

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The image depicts a newspaper clipping, titled "Present Indicative," which appears to be an article about Robert Frank's photography. The clipping is placed on top of a yellowed page with a black border and a column of letters on the left side, resembling a library catalog card. The article features two black-and-white photographs by Robert Frank, one showing a window with an American flag and the other depicting a purple raindrop sign. The text discusses Frank's work, including his book "The Americans" and his use of laboratory-processed pictures and toys in his photographs. The article also mentions Frank's collaboration with Larry Rivers on a film called "Pull My Daisy." Overall, the image suggests that the article is discussing Robert Frank's photography and its significance in the context of American culture.

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The image presents a scrapbook or photo album with a page featuring a newspaper clipping titled "PRESENT INDICATIVE." The clipping is divided into three sections: "DOWNBEAT," "IN TRANSIT," and an untitled section accompanied by a photograph of an American flag.

  • Scrapbook or Photo Album
    • The scrapbook or photo album is open to a page with a newspaper clipping.
    • The page is yellowed, indicating age.
    • The left side of the page has a tabbed index with letters A to H.
    • The top-left corner of the page has handwritten text "APRIL 2003."
  • Newspaper Clipping
    • The clipping is titled "PRESENT INDICATIVE" in bold, black font.
    • The clipping is divided into three sections: "DOWNBEAT," "IN TRANSIT," and an untitled section.
    • The "DOWNBEAT" section discusses the work of Swiss-born photographer Robert Frank and his book "The Americans."
    • The "IN TRANSIT" section describes the changes to the chambers of commerce across the nation, including the introduction of video technology and Continental urbanity.
    • The untitled section features a photograph of an American flag and discusses the use of laboratory-processed pictures and large records.
  • Photographs
    • The clipping includes two photographs: one of an American flag and another of people living in shacks on an island.
    • The photographs are in black and white.

The image showcases a scrapbook or photo album with a newspaper clipping that highlights the work of Robert Frank and the changes in the chambers of commerce across the nation. The clipping features three sections, including "DOWNBEAT," "IN TRANSIT," and an untitled section, accompanied by two photographs.

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The image presents a photograph of an open book, with the left page featuring a black binder and a tabbed index on the left side. The right page displays a newspaper clipping titled "PRESENT INDICATIVE" in bold, black text at the top.

Newspaper Clipping:

  • The clipping is divided into three columns of text, accompanied by two black-and-white photographs.
  • The top photograph depicts a window with an American flag hanging outside, while the bottom photograph shows a butterfly perched on a flower.
  • The article appears to discuss the city of Portland, Oregon, highlighting its public transportation system and the use of visual technology to enhance the travel experience.

Book Details:

  • The book's pages are yellowed, suggesting age.
  • The left page has a black binder and a tabbed index with letters A-H.
  • The book is set against a gray background, which provides a neutral contrast to the yellowed pages.

Overall, the image showcases a vintage newspaper clipping discussing Portland, Oregon, displayed within an open book with a tabbed index.