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| Ansel Adams was a visionary figure in nature photography and wilderness preservation. He is seen as an environmental folk hero and a symbol of the American West, especially of Yosemite National Park. Adams' dedication to wilderness preservation, his commitment to the Sierra Club, and his signature black-and-white photographs inspire an appreciation for natural beauty and a strong conservation ethic. Adams first visited Yosemite in 1916 and was transfixed by the natural beauty it upheld. In 1919, at age 17, he had his first contact with the Sierra Club when he took a job as custodian of a lodge at the club headquarters in Yosemite National Park. Adams' role in the Sierra Club grew rapidly and the club became vital to his early success as a photographer. His first photographs and writings were published in the Sierra Club Bulletin. Involved politically in the club, Adams suggested proposals for improving parks and wilderness preservation, and soon became known as both an artist and defender of Yosemite. In 1934, Adams was elected as a member of the Board of Directors of the Sierra Club, a role he maintained for 37 years. His tenure spanned the years that the club evolved into a powerful national organization that lobbied to create national parks and protect the environment from destructive development projects. Rapids Below Vernal Fall, Yosemite Valley depict the natural beauty and highlights of the valley, characteristics which inspired Ansel Adams to make this area his home for a period of time during his life. Known for its high cliffs and waterfalls, Yosemite Valley was set aside as a national park in 1890. Ansel Adams’ strong love and dedication for the area inspired him to be one of those to protect it.  (For Grades 9-12) What vantage point is this image taken from? Where do you think Adams was standing when he took this photograph? Do you see contrast and texture in this image? Where? From which side of the image does it seem the sunlight enters the frame? If you could protect something in nature, what would it be? How would you go about protecting it? |
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Ansel Easton Adams American, 1902-1984 Rapids Below Vernal Fall, Yosemite Valley Gelatin Silver Print, ca. 1948 Collection Museum of Photographic Arts Gift of Joseph Isaacson 1993.013.003 © Trustees of The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust |
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