Rolling Stones Album Sparks Rediscovery of Legendary Photographer’s Wyoming Collection

An accidental discovery at the Wyoming State Archives has led to a remarkable exploration of Robert Frank’s photography from Wyoming, Wyo File reports.

Frank, the iconic documentary photographer known for his groundbreaking book The Americans, captured over 700 images during his travels through the Equality State in 1955-56. These photos, long overlooked, are now part of an exhibit at the Wyoming State Museum in Cheyenne, offering a fresh look at life in mid-century Wyoming.

Robert Frank’s The Americans is widely regarded as a milestone in documentary photography. Shot during a two-year journey across the United States, the book presents 83 of the more than 28,000 black-and-white images Frank took. His work is celebrated for its raw and often critical depiction of American society, contrasting wealth with poverty and privilege with marginalization.

Wyoming played a small but significant role in Frank’s journey. He visited towns including Casper, Lander, Dubois, Fort Washakie, and South Pass, exposing 20 rolls of film and capturing over 700 images. Yet, none of these photographs were included in The Americans, leaving the Wyoming images virtually unseen until now.

Archivist Robin Everett uncovered Frank’s Wyoming cache while researching Casper newspapers. A reference to an image used on the Rolling Stones’ 1972 album Exile on Main Street piqued her curiosity. A cropped version of Frank’s photograph “Public Ceremony — Casper, Wyoming, 1956” appears on the album. Intrigued, Everett delved deeper, eventually finding Frank’s collection at the National Gallery of Art, where the June Leaf and Robert Frank Foundation stewards his work.

Recognizing the historical significance of the photographs, Everett collaborated with the Wyoming State Museum to curate an exhibit showcasing Frank’s Wyoming images.

The exhibit features 21 photographs, including individual prints and enlarged contact sheets that display sequences of Frank’s shots. The images depict a variety of scenes from Wyoming life in the 1950s: a mother and baby in a car, a high school prom, landscapes, rodeos, and an armed forces ceremony in Casper.

Elisabeth DeGrenier, the museum’s director of exhibits, emphasized the authenticity of Frank’s work.

“His eye highlights the life of an average American — nothing flashy or extravagant,” she said.

The contact sheets reveal Frank’s methodical yet instinctive approach to photography. Viewers can see how he experimented with framing and composition, offering a rare glimpse into his creative process.

One goal of the exhibit is to connect the images to Wyoming residents, past and present. Both Everett and DeGrenier hope viewers might recognize friends or family in the photos.

“I want people to look at the images and say, ‘Wow! There’s Aunt Dodie!’” Everett said.

The exhibit underscores Frank’s ability to capture both the universal and the specific, freezing moments of everyday life that resonate decades later.

The exhibit will remain at the Wyoming State Museum in Cheyenne until March 29 before traveling to Buffalo and potentially other locations. It also includes an open house event on February 11, where visitors can engage with the curators and the photos.