Frank's divergence from contemporary photographic standards gave him difficulty at first in securing an American publisher. was first published on 15 May 1958 by Robert Delpire in Paris as part of its "Encyclopédie Essentielle" series. Writings by Simone de Beauvoir, Erskine Caldwell, William Faulkner, Henry Miller and John Steinbeck were included, that Delpire positioned opposite Frank's photographs. Many thought that Frank's photos served more to illustrate the writing rather than the converse. The cover was decorated with a drawing by Saul Steinberg.