Ansel Adams Overview

Ansel Adams was not only a photographer, he was a leader, activist, author, artist, innovator and a hero. He was one of the most well-known photographers of the 20th century and from gorgeous landscape photography to iconic photographs like his photography... [more]

Ansel Adams was not only a photographer, he was a leader, activist, author, artist, innovator and a hero. He was one of the most well-known photographers of the 20th century and from gorgeous landscape photography to iconic photographs like his photography in California's Yosemite Valley, Adams inspired millions of people all over the world. His first camera was a Kodak Brownie box which he received during a summer vacation in Yosemite National Park. When Adams was 17-years-old, he joined the Sierra Club, whose mission was to contribute and participate in plans and actions that preserve and restore Yosemite's intrinsic natural values. In 1934, Adams was elected as a member of the Board of Directors of the Sierra Club, a role he maintained for 37 years. Throughout his photography career, Adams was called on by U.S. presidents, government commissions, and environmental groups to add his voice and vision to conservation campaigns. He was also recruited to write a series of articles and books. In 1980, Jimmy Carter awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor Following his death in 1984, a peak in the Sierra Nevada of California was named Mount Ansel Adams. Adams was a truly dedicated artist-activist, playing a seminal role in the growth of an environmental consciousness in the U.S. and the development of a citizen environmental movement. [show less]