Born in Zurich, Switzerland, Robert Frank began his career as a commercial photographer before immigrating to the United States in 1947. His breakthrough came during a cross-country road trip supported by a Guggenheim Fellowship, which resulted in the publication of The Americans.

Frank's work is characterized by a gritty, spontaneous aesthetic that departed from the polished documentary style of his contemporaries. He utilized 35mm film to capture candid, often melancholic scenes of everyday life, effectively shifting the trajectory of 20th-century street photography.

In his later career, Frank transitioned from still photography to experimental filmmaking and video art. He continued to explore themes of memory and personal narrative through photomontage and the manipulation of photographic prints, maintaining a significant influence on both visual arts and independent cinema.