How did The Americans influence later generations of street photographers?

Robert Frank’s groundbreaking book The Americans (1959) fundamentally transformed street photography by shifting the medium away from the pursuit of objective, "perfect" masterpieces toward a more subjective, emotional, and narrative-driven approach.1

Frank’s influence on later generations manifested in several key ways:

• Subjectivity and Narrative: Frank introduced a "stream-of-consciousness" style, using sequences of photographs to express a personal perspective rather than merely recording facts. This encouraged photographers to view themselves as artists with a distinct point of view.12
• Embracing Imperfection: By welcoming ambiguity, grainy prints, and "snapshot" aesthetics, Frank departed from traditional technical standards, paving the way for photographers to prioritize realism and immediacy over formal beauty.12
• New Documentary Forms: His work inspired the "New Documents" generation, including Garry Winogrand, Lee Friedlander, and Diane Arbus. These photographers adopted his personal, often raw approach to document urban life and marginalized figures, cementing a shift in documentary photography that endured into the 21st century.21

Ultimately, Frank’s legacy provided the artistic freedom for subsequent photographers to explore the chaos of daily life with greater psychological depth and individual expression.12