Indianapolis, Indiana, 1956
Gelatin silver print, printed 1971
8 ¾ × 13 ¼ in
November 11, 2024
This photograph from The Americans by Robert Frank captures the spirit of its time, while also illuminating one of the era's subcultures and its symbolism. When Black infantrymen returned to the States after World War II they found that surplus motorcycles were affordable and widely available, eventually leading to the formation of Black motorcycle clubs in the 1950s. Hollywood had promulgated the mythos of the outlaw biker, and because early film portrayals of bikers were uniformly white, Frank's depiction of Black riders deepens the resonance of the rebellious and uniquely American search for freedom embodied by motorcycle riders and the open road.
The return of soldiers from World War II had also accelerated the Civil Rights movement, with young Black men giving voice to the belief that it was only just that a country which had asked them to lay down their lives should also grant them equal rights. Frank's images in The Americans were striking at the time for their unvarnished portrayal of racial inequality in The United States, but also for simply bringing the lives of Black people into focus and to the forefront.
Robert Frank's portrait of Black motorcyclists in Indianapolis seems to anticipate the road that lay ahead for the Civil Rights movement, and the resolute dedication to charting a self-determined course forward.
