Robert Frank: Mary’s Book

Celebrating the centennial of photographer Robert Frank’s (1924–2019) birth, this exhibition takes an in-depth look at the personal scrapbook of photographs Frank made for Mary Lockspeiser, the woman who became his first wife, titled Mary’s Book. Created in 1949, the one-of-a-kind, handmade book represents a formative moment in Frank’s career, when he experimented with juxtaposing images and text. 

Seventy-four small photographs and their accompanying inscriptions reveal Frank’s appreciation for the poetic resonance of objects and spaces. Many of the photographs are devoid of people, although a human presence is felt everywhere, such as pages where Frank muses on the chairs and streets of Paris with messages interspersed for Mary. The book is a reflection on solitary contemplation that reads like a lyrical poem and compelling personal photographic sequence.

“Robert Frank: Mary’s Book” features spreads from the album in the MFA’s collection as well as photographs Frank took in Paris, on loan from the artist’s foundation. It is accompanied by a publication that reproduces Mary’s Book in its entirety for the first time.​

Credit: Overview from museum website