Why you should see American Photography

You know how it goes: you plan an outing with an audio tour and finish with a cappuccino and a piece of cake in the museum café. But what I encountered at the Rijksmuseum was so much better than expected. American Photography turned out to be a road trip through American visual culture. And believe me, you want to experience this.

From cigarette box to museum piece

You start in a room where something immediately stands out: a small box, artistically folded from cigarette packs and decorated with old photos. It turns out to have been a farewell gift between housemates, which now stands in a display case via a thrift route. From homemade memory box to museum piece – what a story.

Tupperware parties and youth going viral

The exhibition feels like a visual journey through American society. From the Wild West to cozy Tupperware parties from the sixties and everything in between. Photography here not only shows iconic moments but also everyday life. You pause for a moment at a group of young people in Brooklyn from 1959. Nonchalant and stylish, captured by photographer Bruce Davidson. This would go so viral today.

A photo that won't let you go

Some images stay with you for a long time. Like the photo of Marine Tyler Ziegel and his bride Renée Kline. His face tells the story of a war that has left deep scars, both literally and figuratively. Their love didn't survive, and what follows is a tragic end to life. I really got a lump in my throat.

Selfies avant la lettre

What makes this exhibition so special is the multitude of voices and faces you encounter. From an elegant Asian couple in an art deco interior to a stylish Black dandy from the Harlem Renaissance. These kinds of portraits feel surprisingly modern – selfies avant la lettre, so to speak.

The raw gaze of Robert Frank

And then there are the black-and-white images of Robert Frank. This Swiss photographer traveled through America in the 1950s and shot 28,000 (!) photos along the way. No glossy American Dream, but raw reality: ordinary people and unpolished stories. At the time, they found him confrontational, but now his work is indispensable in the history of photography.

Must-see and cake on the side

So yes, maybe I expected a bit more digital experiments or bolder photos. But honestly? You immediately forgive this exhibition for that. Every image is carefully chosen, every detail tells a story.
You have until June 9. So go, look, enjoy. And treat yourself to that piece of cake in the museum café afterwards. Because that's just part of it.

Image credits: Ming Smith, America seen through Stars and Stripes, New York City, ca. 1976.