The book initially received harsh criticism in the US, where the tone of the book was perceived as derogatory to national ideals. Much of the criticism Frank faced was as well related to his photojournalistic style, wherein the immediacy of the hand-held camera introduced technical imperfections into the resulting images. "Popular Photography", for one, derided Frank's images as "meaningless blur, grain, muddy exposures, drunken horizons and general sloppiness." This stands in contrast to Walker Evans' "American Photographs", a direct inspiration to Frank, with its rigidly framed images shot via large-format viewcamera. Though sales were also poor at first, Kerouac's introduction helped it reach a larger audience because of the popularity of the Beat phenomenon. Over time and through its inspiration of later artists, "The Americans" became considered a seminal work in American photography and art history, and the work with which Frank is most clearly identified.